The Enemy Within
by Mallorysgirl
Summary: Story follows Chris and his family after the ending of Blood Strangers.
1. Back home

**The Enemy Within**

Disclaimer: Don't own Charmed, if I did Brian Krause would never have been missing for half of season eight due to budget cuts, because I would have saved money by not creating the characters of Billie and Christy.

Authors note: This is a sequel to Blood Strangers. This story is set about two months after that story ends.

Chapter One

Have you ever wished you could take a moment in your life and rewind time? Go back to just before it happens and replay it differently. There wasn't a member of the Halliwell/Wyatt household who didn't wish for that chance.

Piper Halliwell was at the top of the list. Her world had come crashing down around her ears and looking back she had had ever chance to change the outcome. She just hadn't!

Life at the manor had become unbearable in the last couple of months. Each member of the family blaming themselves for Chris' disappearance. Piper's heart had broken in that one moment when her youngest son had chosen strangers over her and disappeared to god knows where.

That night on the beach would be forever etched in her memory. She had lost Chris and nearly lost Leo too. If it hadn't been for her quick thinking and called Paige, Leo would have been dead by now.

Saying that however something inside Leo had died. That moment after he realised Chris had shot him to save a stranger, Leo had retreated into a similar state to when Wyatt had been taken. The only difference was that this time he had no elders to punish. Just himself.

She had tried so hard to bring him back, but just like last time she knew Leo would have to deal with it alone. She just hoped it wouldn't take him another fifteen years to snap out of it. She needed help to get her son back, she didn't need a self-pitying ex husband, who was hell bent on doing some serious damage to himself.

Before Chris had left they seemed to be getting closer again. And that afternoon in her office had proved that the love and passion they had once had was still there and very much alive. But neither one of them had broached the subject of them since their youngest disappeared.

Piper had noticed that Leo had not just drifted away from her but he had drifted away from Matt as well. Until recently Leo had spent a great deal of time with Matt, helping him train his powers had given him a chance to get to know his eldest son. Looking back, Piper now realised that Leo had been rather unfair on Chris. He hadn't just missed out of Matt growing up, he had missed out on Chris' childhood too. Yet he had made no real effort to get to know Chris. And she knew that that was something that Leo was greatly regretting. She just hoped that there was by some small miracle a way to get her family back together and be given the chance to make it right.

* * *

Matthew Turner headed up the stone steps to the place he had recently been calling his second home. Since Chris had disappeared he had been spending more and more time here. He knew that Piper found it comforting having at least one of children near by and after losing his brother he realised that she wouldn't be able to handle it if he disappeared on her too.

However it was difficult. Since Chris had dropped his little bombshell on Matt's un-expecting parents he had been torn! One on hand his biologically parents needed him right now for support, but in the other he knew his adopted parents were still reeling from the shock of him having found his birth parents.

Piper had recently met his adoptive parents. Something that Matt had been rather apprehensive about in the beginning. However things had worked out for the best in that situation. Piper explained that she was in no way trying to replace his mom and dad and complemented them on the wonderful job they had done in raising him. She explained that she and Leo had not given Matt up for adoption, but that he had been taken in the middle of the night, leaving out the elder part.

His mother and father seemed to take to Piper quite well and he knew that they felt great sympathy for her; she had after all just lost her youngest son. Again they didn't know all the in's and out's of what had happened, all they knew was that Chris had run away.

There hadn't been a day when Matt hadn't thought about his little brother, wishing that things had turned out differently. He felt like he had let Chris down. He had been so wrapped up in trying to process the past couple of months himself, he hadn't even thought about how his brother had been taking it. Chris had been the closest thing he had ever had to a best friend and he had hoped that now that they knew they were brothers, the bond that they had recognised that first day in the attic by the book would have grown. Unfortunately that hadn't happened, the bond hadn't grown, it had just been ripped apart by bitterness and jealousy.

Not that Matt could blame Chris. He hadn't at the time realised how difficult it had been for the younger Halliwell to cope with having a new brother who was getting all the attention he had or hadn't been getting from certain members of his family.

Most of Chris' anger and resentment had come from the fact that Leo had always made him second best when it came to the two brothers. Firstly Chris had to grow up without his dad because his was hell bent on finding Matt and secondly when he finally got his dad back it was as if he didn't give a shit about his youngest son. He had been too busy with Matt to care about Chris.

The ironic thing was that now Leo was treating Matt just like he had treated Chris for the last fifteen years. He had been avoiding him over the past couple of months and Matt knew it was because he was feeling guilty for spending so much time with him, while neglecting Chris.

* * *

Leo made his way through the underworld with one firm objective. To torture and kill anything that got in his way. He was down here for one reason and one reason alone. He had heard of a demon that could shift and control realities to his own advantage and Leo was determined to find him.

Something inside Leo had changed. After Wyatt had been taken all those years ago, he had been in a really dark place. But this, if it was possible was worse. The guilt he felt over losing Chris was eating him up inside. Once again he had closed himself off from his family, but unlike last time he had no elders to punish, just himself and he was doing a really good job at that.

Every time he thought of his youngest son, he felt like his insides were being torn apart. It had taken his disappearance for Leo to realise that there were serious problems in their relationship. He had hoped that after he had gotten to know Matt that he could build up a relationship with Chris as well. He should have realised that he should of being spending his time getting to know both his sons, not just the one.

Leo would have given anything to turn back time and treated Chris better. That was why he had been trying so hard to find away to get him back.

Hopefully this reality demon could help, And if not at least Leo would have something to vent out some of guilt and angry he had been carrying these past couple of months!


	2. Little boy lost

**Chapter Two**

_A small boy stood alone on the sidewalk of a busy street. The child watched as the crowd around him rushed past, not one noticing his presence. The boy couldn't have been much older than four or five, too young to be wondering the streets alone._

"_Daddy," the boy called timidly, "Daddy where are you?" His small voice began to sound panicked. He was sure that no one would ever notice him standing there and that he would never find his way home._

"_Daddy," he cried again. _

"_Are you lost son?" a voice from behind him asked._

_The child span around quickly and ran into the arms of the man crouched down beside him. "Daddy," he cried relieved as he buried his face into the man's shoulder._

_The man gently pulled away from the boy "I'm sorry buddy, but I think you've made a mistake. I'm not your daddy,"_

"_Yes you are," the child answered slightly amused as if they were playing a game._

"_No I'm not," the man answered harshly. He stood back up quickly, his cold eyes never leaving the child. "I'm not your daddy. You don't have one," he told the child before disappearing into the crowd, once more leaving the boy frightened and alone._

Chris woke up in a cold sweat silently screaming! It was the third time this week that he had had the dream and yet he was nowhere nearer to finding out what it meant.

If he had been anyone else he would have just pinned the nightmare down to stress and left it at that. But Chris had learnt that in his family, that everything had a reason or a message and that this time would be no different.

He pulled back the covers and swung his legs over the side of his bed. Wiping the sleep from his eyes he looked over at his brother's bed where Wyatt lay peacefully snoring his head off.

Getting up he quietly orbed to the attic. He made his way over to the middle of the room where the book of shadows lay open. On the surface the book was identical in appearance to the one back home, it was only when you looked closer that you'd notice differences. Unlike the book he was used to, this one was full of information on creatures such as Fairies, Muses and Leprechauns. Not one demon appeared in this book. Well maybe except for Barbus and here he wasn't a demon; he was the angel of hope. This was something that had amused Chris when he had first met the Barbus of this world. Standing in front of the book Chris read the entry it was open on.

'_Whitelighters are angels who protect and guide good witches. They have the power to heal and can be easily be vanquished by the poison of a Darklighters arrow,'_

Chris stared at the entry with a sick feeling rising up in his stomach. Whitelighters were bad here. It was his parents' job to eliminate his kind and that thought scared the hell out of him.

Chris went to turn the page, but the book snapped shut quickly. Chris sighed. The book didn't trust him. It still thought of him as good. Chris couldn't understand it. He had shot and killed the man he used to call Dad, how much more evil did the book need him to be.

Chris made his way over to the couch and curled up on it. He wanted to sleep, but the dreams that he had been having were still harassing his unconscious. He wanted peace! He needed it! But everything was just as screwed up here as it had been at home. His father still plagued his dreams. He couldn't get the image of him lying there bleeding to death out of his mind. He had relived that moment over and over again in his head. The guilt of it was tarring him up inside. And to top it all off he wasn't even sure that he was wanted here. Leo, his dad had told him that he was on more than one occasion, but still it didn't feel like it.

When he first arrived they all welcomed him with open arms, well everyone except Wyatt. He had made it quite clear that he was less than impressed to see his younger brother. It was strange to look at Wyatt and see Matt staring back at him. They were the same person, yet they were totally different. In appearance they were near identical. Both had the same piercing blue eyes, the only difference was that Matt's had always been so much more warm and inviting. That was until their last meeting, when Matt's eyes had burnt with so much hatred for his brother. Just like Wyatt's did now. Chris knew that he had been totally out of line in telling Matt's parents about him meeting their family and would give anything to turn back the clock.

He hadn't realised how much he would miss his older brother. Living with Wyatt had made him realise just how much Matt actually meant to him.

The only person he felt at ease around was his father. Chris laughed at the irony. Back home Leo had been the one person Chris had felt the most awkward around.

His mother had almost fallen to pieces the first time she saw him. He had been nervous about meeting her the most out of everybody. Praying that she would instantly love him like a mother was supposed to.

And at first she seemed to. She had pulled him into her arms at first sight and cried for the longest time. However that all changed the moment she found out that he was a white not dark-witch/lighter. She went ballistic to put it mildly. He had heard his mother and father arguing later that evening.

"That vile half-breed is not my child. Get rid of it Leo," Piper's harsh words had stung him hard. He had never felt so much hatred from anyone. The fact that this woman was his mother made it even worse. Leo had calmed her down slightly. Chris wasn't sure what his father had said to her, but whatever it was it had calmed the situation down slightly. She still made it quite clear that she was less than impressed with both Chris and Leo, but at least she wasn't screaming obscenities at either of them now.

However that still didn't stop Chris feeling totally alone. He had supposedly come home, yet he felt so lost. 'Maybe,' he thought. 'Maybe he just didn't belong anywhere!'


	3. Sibling rivalry

Chapter Three 

Matt lay on his bed staring up at the ceiling. He was supposed to be studying for a test he had tomorrow, but he just couldn't get into the right frame of mind to do so. He had too much on his mind. He had just returned from visiting his mother at the manor. When he arrived there he had found her curled up on her bed sobbing, she was clutching Chris' old teddy bear Woobie, which had belonged to him before the elders had kidnapped him.

He had stayed with her for the longest time, just curled up next to her on the bed while she cried. He knew that just having him there was a comfort to her; at least she still had one of her children around her. He knew that she was still blaming herself just as much as he was. Both of them were carrying around more guilt than either of them could bear.

Matt had briefly thought of calling for his father, but he knew that Leo wouldn't come. He was probably down in the underworld interrogating another demon. He had been spending more and more time down there recently. Matt knew that he was desperately to get Chris back. However as important as that was, his mother really needed him right now and he was never around. Piper had tried to explain to Matt that this was common for Leo and that he had reacted the same way when he had been taken. Still that didn't make it fair on either Matt or Piper. Piper needed Leo's support, he hadn't been the only one that had lost his son. But Piper was the one having to keep it all together, and Matt knew that that was mainly for his benefit. The irony in all of this was that Chris and Matt had switched roles. Chris had become the child that Leo was so desperately searching for while Matt had become the one he found so easily pushed a side.

Matt moved over to his desk, promising himself that he would at least attempt to do some work tonight. He glanced at the picture next to his computer. It was the one of him and Chris at the beach. Piper had taken it just after they had all been reunited. The trip to the beach was one of the only times that they had all done something as a family. Matt studied the photograph intently, both he and Chris looked happy, something neither had been in the last couple of weeks leading up to Chris' disappearance. Matt smiled at the memory of that day; he and Chris had both really enjoyed hanging out together. They had both quickly slipped into their roles of big and little brother and it was as if they had never been separated. How quickly things change? Matt thought. They could have been so close, that first day by the book they had both recognised that there was a connection.

**Connection!**

'That's it!' Matt thought. 'That's the answer' Matt stood up quickly. An idea had just popped into his head; he had to get the manor quick. He needed to get to the book.

* * *

Chris ducked behind the sofa in the living room of the manor; he had barely been able to dodge the fireball that had been directed at him. He noticed that the ball had left a scorch mark in the wall behind him. 'Oh man,' he thought 'Mom's gonna kill me for that," Knowing full well that he'd be the one to get the blame.

It wouldn't matter whether he'd caused the trouble or not, it was always him that was permanently in the shit! It didn't matter that his 'beloved' brother was trying to kill him. No! The way that Piper was treating him of late, she'd of probably raised Wyatt's allowance if he'd actually succeeded.

Wyatt Halliwell was full of anger! Full of hate! He threw fireball after fireball at his pathetic excuse of a brother. 'Snivelling little half breed!' he thought venomously 'So sweet, so pure. It makes me sick,' He couldn't understand why his father had spent so long searching for this boy. Ignoring him all his life!

**GOD! IT MADE HIM ANGRY!**

Would anyone really miss sweet little Christopher if he by some 'small unfortunate' accident got killed by a fireball or two? He knew for a fact that he wouldn't.

"Come out Christopher," Wyatt yelled "Fight me like a man, instead of the weak little good witch that you are,"

"Are you kidding me," Chris answered exasperated "Not while your auditioning for brother of the year," he added sarcastically "YOU PSYCHO!"

"Jesus!" he mumbled to himself "And I thought I had a bad relationship with Matt!"

He knew it was time to make a quick exit. Chris made to orb out, but as his orbs headed towards the ceiling Wyatt pulled him back and threw him against the nearest wall. Chris fell to the floor with a thud. Every part of his body ached.

Rolling over onto his back he looked up as Wyatt towered over him. The boy's blue eyes burned through Chris as he formed an energy ball in the palm of his right hand. Chris closed his eyes, waiting for the ball to come. Part of him welcoming it if he was being truthfully honest. Was all this really worth it? Nothing had worked out as he had expected. Coming here was supposed to have been a fresh start. Instead he was more alone than ever. Would anyone really miss him if he was gone? He doubted that very much! Maybe death was the only answer. At least he'd see Grandpa again.

Wyatt had the energy ball formed in his hand, he watched with a curiosity, as Chris didn't try to fight his fate. He had expected the young witch to run or at least try to through the older Halliwell into the nearest wall. But he didn't. He just closed his eyes tightly waiting for Wyatt to strike. Part of Wyatt was disappointed; there was something to be said for the thrill of the chase. And Chris was making this too easy. Oh well, after vanquishing the little runt, he'd have to go down to the underworld and torture a few good witches, that would make him feel better. He raised his hand, ready to strike!

"WYATT MATTHEW HALLIWELL!" Leo's voice threatened, "Do it and I promise you'll live to regret it!"

Wyatt sighed; lowering his hand he let the ball evaporate. Glaring at Chris he spat "Daddy's boy," through gritted teeth.

"That's enough Wyatt," Leo snapped "What the hell is going on?"

Neither of the boys answered.

"Chris?" Leo asked, deciding that Chris was his best at getting the truth.

"Nothing dad," Chris answered meekly; he knew that tattling on Wyatt would only cause him more grief.

"Wyatt?"

Wyatt just remained silent, his eyes fixed on his father, defiant!

"Alright, if your not going to tell me the truth then you're both going to be punished,"

"What!" they both whined.

"That's not fair," Wyatt complained.

"Tough," Leo stood firm "If neither one of you is going to tell me what's going on then I'll just have to punish the both of you. Go to your room,"

Wyatt glared at his father with pure hatred. How dare he tell him what to do! He hadn't earned the right. "You know what dad?" Wyatt challenged, "Screw you!" He orbed out before Leo had the chance to stop him, leaving an uncomfortable Chris alone with their parents.


	4. Mommy's Boy

**I am sorry that it has taken me so long to post the next chapter but I put this story on hold as I wasn't sure how to carry it on and I didn't want to sacrifice the story by writing something that I wasn't 100% happy with.**

Chapter Four

Have you ever felt like no matter what you do or no matter how hard you try you can never please everyone. Chris Halliwell did! Back home he could never please his father. No matter how hard he tried he could never hold his attention. Here it was the other way round. It was his mother that had no time for him, who avoided him at all costs. It was something he could hardly bear. His mother had always been the one constant in his life. No matter how strained his relationship became with Leo, he knew his mother loved him. Being with a Piper that hated his very existence was killing him. He needed his mother's love whatever the cost.

He had two options. Go home or stay here and make the best of it. Going home was not an option. He had burned all bridges back there when he struck Leo with the poisonous arrow from the darklighter's bow. So it was to plan B then! Stay here and become the son that Piper so desperately needed him to be to love him.

Orbing into the kitchen he found Piper mixing what looked like a potion together. "Mom," He watched her involuntary cringe at the sound of him calling her that.

"Yes," she snapped not even turning to face him "What do you want?"

"I…I," he stammered

"What is it Chris?" she barked "I'm busy"

"I was wondering if I could help?" he answered meekly the whole time thinking please don't blow me up.

Piper spun around with a surprised look on her face "You want to help me?" she answered in disbelief "I'm making a potion to kill good witches. And you want to help me"

Chris swallowed hard, every part of his body screamed no. No I don't want to help you. But instead he smiled pleasantly "Yes I want to help you,"

"Alright," she answered cautiously "You can help me. BUT…" she barked, "You mess this up and I'll make sure the next batch I make, I use on you,"

Chris didn't answer; he just nodded and began to help Piper. The whole time praying that she would not use him as a guinea pig once the potion was finished.

Piper stood at the door looking into Chris' bedroom. Photographs plastered the walls, all his own. He had a great talent, a keen eye and the ability to interpret anything through a camera's lens. It was something he had inherited from his Auntie Prue. He had grown more and more like her each day. Always hiding his feelings to spare others, keeping problems to himself, holding back the tears to look brave and not draw attention to himself.

Crossing over to his bed she sat down and picked up a photograph upon his bedside table. It was of her and Chris taken when he was a toddler. He was standing on the park bench she was sat on with his arms wrapped around her shoulders.

"Mommy's boy,"

Piper span to face the door where Phoebe stood with a sad smile on her face.

"Not anymore," Piper sighed. She was so tired, both emotionally and physically. "I don't know how much longer I can fight. He's gone, I've lost my baby and I'm never getting him back"

"Piper," Phoebe softy approached her sister and sat down next to her. "You can't give up honey, he needs you,"

Piper put the picture back down on the table "If he needed me, he'd be here wouldn't he,"

"Things aren't always that simple hun," Phoebe wrapped her arm round her sister and pulled her close "He probably feels that he's burnt his bridges after what happen with Leo,"

"How am I supposed to get him back if I don't know where he is?"

"I think I have away," Matt said from the doorway.


	5. Connections

**Apologies for not updating sooner. Life has kinda gotten in the way recently and I kind of lost my inner muse for this story with one large dose of writer's block. But now I intend to focus on this story as it's the only one I've ever written where I've known the outcome before I've even started it, yet it's been the one which I haven't paid enough attention to. **

**Anyways I hope you like it **

Chapter Five

Matt knew that the most important thing in the world was family. Recently he had been lucky enough to acquire two. The thought made him smile as he realized how fortunate he had been to be reunited with those he had been lost too so many years ago, while still having the love and support of his adopted parents.

He had quickly realized that with both the Halliwell's and the Turner's he would always have a strong connection. And in that the answer to finding Chris lay.

"I don't understand," Phoebe stated "The way to find Chris is through you?"

"Not just me," Matt smiled "But me and the book" he motioned behind himself to the large leather bound book that held most of his heritage.

"Me and Chris have always had a connection" Matt began to explain "The first day we met I noticed it. Something inside me told me to trust him. I was a freak…" He saw his mother's hurt expression and quickly elaborated further. "…or so I thought. Why would anyone revel something as important as supernatural powers to a complete stranger?"

"But something inside told me to, something told me that he would understand," He motioned behind himself again "The book noticed the connection to. The thing began glowing the moment we both placed our hands on it. That has to mean something." He began to get more excited now. He waved his hands about in front of himself "We just need to begin to think outside of the box"

Piper eyed her son cautiously; praying that whatever idea he was coming up with would give them a chance. She was beginning to give up hope and right now she would have given anything a shot. "What do you have in mind?"

* * *

For Chris spending the afternoon with a Piper who hated your guts had to be on his top ten list of awkward moments he never wanted to relive. It ranked right up there with the 'Honey do you want to explain the magazines under your bed' incident. He didn't think anything could have been as bad as that, yet he quickly learnt how wrong you could be. The first ten minuets had been silent. He had been too scared to breath if he was honest. Then all of a sudden Piper asked, "Do you miss home?"

Chris swallowed hard. The thought of home filled him with so many different emotions that they all seemed to overwhelm him at once. He realized quickly that Piper was staring at him, waiting for an answer.

"Not really," he replied avoiding her gaze.

"Really?" she eyed him skeptically "Your not a very good liar are you Chris?"

Looking directly at her he sighed "No not really," he admitted, " I don't really know how I feel about home,"

Something in Chris had just had given up. He'd spent months trying to hold it together, to show that he was tough. But now he didn't care what this Piper thought of him, how weak she believed he was. "Yeah sometimes I think I miss home but it doesn't matter I burnt my bridges there when I killed Leo. They wouldn't want me back and you don't want me here, maybe I don't belong anywhere,"

"I'm starting to think it might be handy having you around," Piper acknowledged.

"What as… target practice," Chris answered sarcastically.

Piper's eyes bore into him. For a second he thought that she might actually just set him on fire, and then quickly she smiled at him. This unsettled him more than any threat she could have bestowed upon him. "Maybe I could be persuaded to believe that you could become my son,"

"How?" Chris asked intrigued by her current change of mood towards him. There was no hostility like before, just in it's place a feeling of a compromise.

"What if we could work together," Piper began. "If you proved to me that you were willing to do anything for this family, then I would be open to the possibility that you might very well be the child that we've been searching for all these years,"

Whatever this anything was Chris knew that it would change everything.


	6. Subconscious

Chapter Six

The idea was mad! Barmy, off the wall, loop the bloody loop! There was no way that Chris was going to do what his mother wanted.

No! She was not his mother! His mother would never have asked him to do such an appalling thing. To expect him to go against everything he had ever believed in, the very foundations of everything he had been taught and respected.

Yet at the same time it was tempting. To have her love and devotion, her acceptance was so close that he could taste it. But in obtaining it, how high a price did he have to pay?

Lying awake in bed that night Chris kept going over what she had asked of him. She knew it would break him, he knew it too. Any good that was left in him would disappear the moment he did what she requested. Chris Halliwell would be no more, no one would be able to save him. Not that anyone would even bother to try. That chance to no longer be alone, to finally belong was calling him and he knew what he needed to do.

Sleep soon took over and he dreamed of his father. He dreamt of Leo lying on the cold wet sand slowly slipping away. His face growing pale and the sweat glistening from his skin as he tried his hardest to fight the dark that was over taking him. He was holding his hand out to Chris, begging to be set free, to let the poison take over and consume him. To change his whole world and to say goodbye to whom he had always been. Chris blinked as his father's face began to change in front of him, it contorted in reaction to the agony he was feeling and as his screaming began Chris realised that it wasn't his father lying beneath him, but himself.

Chris woke with a start. Finally focusing upon the room around him he noticed how dark it still was. Morning was still a couple of hours away and by then Piper would want his answer. She had told him to think about it and to come to her in the morning with his decision. He knew that if he didn't do as she asked she would make his life more hell than it already was. But then again if he did do as she asked he'd be living his own personal hell.

Suddenly something caught Chris' attention. Something within his subconscious was moving him up off his bed and to the door. He felt like he no longer had control of his legs, like he was sleep walking yet being awake enough to observe what was going on.

Quietly as he could, he opened the door and made his way across the hall. His vision was limited due to the only source of light being from the moon. Slowly he approached the attic. The door was already open and Chris cautiously made his way up the stairs.

Chris had climbed those stairs hundreds of times, yet they had never once felt threatening. That was until tonight. Tonight he felt like he was entering the unknown. All those insecurities from childhood about the dark were quickly resurfacing.

'The boogieman does exist' Chris thought 'But at least I know a spell to vanquish him,'

Once at the top of the stairs the darkened room was illuminated by the glowing of the book, in the middle of the room. It was as if it was calling to him, singing even. Taking tentative steps towards it Chris reminded himself that the book here didn't like him. It didn't trust him. So why was it calling to him?

Before he knew it Chris was standing in front of the open book, it's pages glowing brightly at him as if it was reading his very soul.

Then the darkness took over and Chris lay silent upon the attic floor.

* * *

The light from the sun was blinding through the attic first thing in the morning. When Chris awoke he felt like his head was on fire. His eyes burnt from the light, and his whole body felt limp and sore. As Chris began to move himself up into a sitting position he felt something digging into his right hand. Opening his balled fist he noticed a crumpled up object. On closer inspection Chris realised it was a photograph.

The photograph showed a young woman holding a small dark haired child in her arms. She was smiling down at the child with such love in her eyes that it almost broke Chris' heart. He recognised both of the people instantly. "Mom," he whispered softly. His eyes filled with tears, as he was overwhelmed by the feeling of loss. He was just a boy, a frightened young boy who was all alone with no one to turn to.

Quickly he made his way down the attic stairs, racing across the first floor hall as fast as he could he reached the entrance to the kitchen on the ground floor before he knew it. There she stood, his mother. His heart felt like it was about to burst; she was just as he remembered her and he felt like that six year old again. The one who looked to her for approval, the one who looked to her for love and most importantly the one who looked to her for forgiveness.

Making his way over to her he was afraid that if he moved to quickly she would disappear. "Mom," he whispered.

Her face caught him as she turned to answer him. Her pale face was still as breathtaking as her remembered, yet her warm chocolate eyes were replaced with more of a burning fire that seem to scorch him in a flash.

"Well," she began impatiently "Don't you have something to say to me?"

Chris swallowed hard. A wave of nausea rose from his stomach. She was everything to him and he knew in that instant he had to fight for her and the rest of his family.

"Yes I have," he said determined "I've made my decision, I'll do what you've asked of me mom,"


	7. Woobie's secret weapon

Chapter Seven

"It must have worked," Matt assured his mother "The photograph disappeared,"

Piper sighed "Doesn't mean Chris actually got it though does it," If she admitted it to herself, Piper knew that part of her was staying sceptical because she was scared that if she hoped it worked, that she'd be disappointed when it didn't.

"I think the kid's right Piper," Paige began "Whether Chris got the photo or not it disappeared and that means it must have gone somewhere, we just need to figure out where,"

"And then what?" Piper asked

"Find away to direct our message to Chris," Matt cut in quickly. "We need to get back to work," Matt made his way back to the book and began flipping through the pages quickly searching for any clue to the answer of his question.

How do you find something that wants to stay lost?

Chris wanted to stay lost didn't he? Matt wondered if Chris missed his family, missed him. He had always wanted a little brother growing up. Someone to hang out with, it had been lonely being an only child and having someone else to share things with would have been nice.

Share! He knew that somewhere inside that struck a cord. Emotionally they were linked. The book proved that. But now they needed something physical.

"Mom," Matt turned towards his mother with an expression that gave the impression that something had just occurred to him. "You wouldn't have by any chance passed anything down to Chris that may have been mine from when I was a baby,"

Piper gave him a confused look "A few baby grows and a teddy bear, but apart from that nothing else. Why?'

"Does Chris still have the teddy bear?"

"Woobie," Piper informed him "Yeah he should still be in his room,"

Matt quickly made his way past his mother towards the attic door. Quickly she began to follow him down the stairs with Paige on her heels "Matt, honey what is it?"

When the sisters had caught up with him he was frantically searching Chris' room.

"Matt what are you doing?" Piper asked frustrated that her eldest son would not answer her questions.

"The bear mom, I'm looking for the bear," Woobie was the key, he kept saying to himself over and over again. The bear would give them the means to find Chris.

Piper began searching around the room with him. "Honey why do you need the bear?"

"The bear is a physical connection between me and Chris mom. It was something that binds us together,"

Piper began frantically searching around Chris' bed. "Here," Piper called "He's under the bed," Handing Woobie over to Matt he ran back up the attic stairs.

"I wish that boy would stand still for two minutes," Paige quipped heading back towards the door.

"Matt," Piper shouted grabbing her eldest shoulders forcing him to stop and look directly at her. "For the love of god please just stop for a second and explain. We can't keep up,"

Matt caught his breath. "We need to create a stronger connection," he beamed. The excitement was written all over his face. He looked like a kid who'd just discovered how to get everything he ever wanted for free. "We need to get Aunt Phoebe and Dad here. It has a better chance of working with all of us here,"

"Paige can you orb to Phoebe," Piper instructed her sister

Without a second though Paige disappeared into a mass of light blue orbs, arriving back moments later with a very confused and slightly pissed off Phoebe.

"What the hell Paige?" she asked "I was in the middle of a staff meeting. Do you know how much trouble I'm going to be in when I finally get back,"

"Forget that now," Paige beamed brightly "Matt has an idea,"

"Honey your father might be harder to get here, you know how he's been since Chris' disappearance,"

"Dad," Matt called "DAD,"

"He's not listening," Piper sighed.

Matt sighed, that seemed to be Leo's thing at the moment. He didn't seem to listen to anyone anymore. Matt knew he needed to give his father a reason to listen.

"DAD CHRIS NEEDS YOU!"

Quickly familiar blue orbs formed into the solid mass that was Leo. A look of both urgency and hope crossed the former elders face.

'Have you found him," Leo was straight down to business.

Matt smiled at the thought that his father was once as determined to find him. "I think I might have,"

* * *

It only took a few minutes for Matt to explain his idea to his parents and aunts. After many questions about possible failure and the dangers of this idea, they had finally decided that it was at least worth a shot.

Matt discussed the idea of adapting a return to owner spell in order to reunited Chris with his family. Using the teddy bear as a physical representation they hoped that they could send the bear to Chris, but at the same time be able to lock onto the bear's destination with the use of their family connection and travel to wherever Chris was.

Long shot maybe, but it was at least worth a try.


	8. The warmest of rain

This chapter is extremely short but I felt that it needed to be kept on it's own. I will be updating the next chapter as soon as I can.

Chapter Eight

Mom always said that my eyes were so warm that they could melt the hardest of hearts. How ironic was it that here in this alternative world hers stayed as cold as ice. All my life she had been my sun, my warmth the only thing that stopped me from being cold.

Now she was the cold harsh wind and the rainstorm grazing across my face. Her fiery gaze whenever I did anything that upset her felt like fingernails scratching there way down my skin. I see her how she looks at Wyatt, how protective she is of him. I want her to feel that way about me. I'd give anything for her to be my sunshine again, to engulf me in her warm arms and protect me from the rain.

As a small child I used to hate the rain, I hated being isolated from the outside when my mom wouldn't let me go out and play. The dark skies and thick grey clouds made the days so sad, so gloomy, so very very long. But more importantly the harsh sound of the rain beating down on the house itself scared me. Still does, and maybe she always will.

So I must learn to love the rain, work with it, work with her, in the hope that one day it'll protect me and keep me warm.

Working with the rain, I might once again feel the sun beating down against my face keeping me warm.

Maybe then my Jaded green eyes that once were so warm, now turned so cold will melt the hardest of hearts again.


	9. What stands in his place

Chapter Nine

What had I become! The very thing that I despised is what. Looking at myself in the mirror I no longer saw the boy I once was. So innocent, so naïve. I would never be him again.

The person looking back at me in the mirror was nothing more than a stranger, with pale grey features and hollow eyes. Eyes that betrayed the facade that I was projecting, telling myself that everything was going to be all right. But it wasn't, nothing would be all right again. Filling the bathroom sink I plunged my head into the ice-cold water. I thought the feeling of my face crashing into the cold water would startle me, wake me up but it didn't. It didn't even register.

Nothing I do will ever register again. I held my head under the water for the longest time, praying that sleep would overtake me and that I would pass out before my lungs filled with water and I'd at last meet a peaceful death.

Peace would never find me again, I would be forever haunted by what I had done, what I had become.

Finally after fighting to suppress the urge to survive for as long as possible I could do so no longer. As my lungs began to fill with water my instincts were to fight, to survive and my body began to convulse as I pulled away from the watery grave that awaited me and began to cough and choke upon water as I started to fight to breath.

Sinking down onto the floor with my back against the cold stone wall, my body heaved with loud sobs as I finally let go of being the strong one. I was weak! I was a coward! I didn't deserve the name Halliwell.

I needed an escape, time to think, away from everything that reminded me of what I'd done and what was awaiting me once I came back. Things had changed.

I'd be better in the ground than be here like this. Christopher Perry Halliwell was dead and I stood here in his place!

* * *

**Two**** days earlier**

She was the most beautiful creature Chris had ever seen. Her light brown bobbed hair smelt like strawberries and he was totally captivated by it's scent. When she smiled her pale blue eyes danced along with them and Chris felt like the whole world stood still.

He had never believed in love at first sight before, that was the stuff of fairytales and trashy romance novels that his aunt Phoebe talked of. But it couldn't happen to him could it?

Was it possible that here in the midst of this cruel and depraved world Chris Halliwell had found an angel. Something inside him believed so.

He had found her by accident, amongst the crowd of aggressive weekend shoppers at the local centre. Wondering aimlessly around the history section of the local bookstore their eyes met. Chris quickly turned away blushing slightly. He wasn't used to attention from girls, at school he usually kept himself to himself. But the more he tried to look away the more captivated with her he was. She noticed his awkwardness almost instantly and quickly approached him herself.

"Hi," she smiled warmly holding out her small hand.

"Hi," Chris whispered nervously

"I'm Laney," she added realising that she needed to be more forward as this kid wasn't going to be.

"Hi Laney…. I'm Chris,"

"So you a big fan of Tudor Britain then?" Laney asked indicating to the book on Thomas Cromwell in his hands.

"Oh," Chris looked down at the book "History report due in on Monday. I haven't even started it yet,"

Laney smiled sweetly at him "I assume that if you haven't started it yet then you probably wouldn't want to go and get a milkshake?"

Taken aback by her forwardness Chris began to stutter "I…I…erm,"

"Ooh, it's fine," Laney quickly answered looking down at her feet "If your busy I understand,"

She began to walk away slightly embarrassed and hurt by his rejection.

"No wait!" Chris grabbed at her hand. "Please, I'd love to,"

They talked for what seemed like an eternity, yet they never seemed to run out of conversation. Chris had learnt that Laney lived in Boston but was here in San Francisco visiting her dad for a couple of weeks. She'd been taken out of school due to liberating the school laboratories supply of frogs awaiting death via biology class dissection and had been sent to her dads until the suspension was lifted. Chris hoped it wouldn't be soon though as he was enjoying her company.

He found that they had a lot in common, both keen photographers with underlining resentment for an older sibling. Laney's parents had divorced when she was small, her father had a new family and from the sound of it Laney felt more of a burden to the family rather than a guest in their home.

Chris could identify with that a great deal, it was the way he felt at home at the moment and it was nice to finally have someone to talk to who could identify with how you were feeling.

They had been talking for so long that they didn't realise the time until they noticed the café being closed around them. Walking out into the cold night air Chris took off his jacket and wrapped it around Laney's shivering shoulders.

"Thanks," Laney said accepting it.

"Do you fancy meeting Monday after school?" Chris asked "Maybe we could hang out,"

"Yeah I'd like that, " Laney smiled.

Once they reached Laney's father's home, Chris bid her a good night, but not before she moved in to kiss him softly on the cheek.

"I had a great time this afternoon Chris," she smiled "I'll see you Monday afternoon,"

Disappearing behind the front door Laney left Chris grinning from ear to ear as he wondered home. Maybe things were looking up he thought to himself. Reaching home he made his way quietly up the stairs to his bedroom, hoping not to wake any one. Opening the door he found the night already on, but instead of Wyatt staring back at him, Piper was sitting on the bed facing the door.

She stared at him intently "It's time Chris," her words sent a chill through him.


	10. A smiley Piper has to mean trouble!

Chapter Ten

The day had started the same as any other Monday morning. This one however would stick in Christopher Halliwell's mind for an eternity. He rolled out of bed at 8am like normal and made his way downstairs. Breakfast was waiting for him along with a smiling Piper. That was when Chris realised that today was most defiantly going to be different. Sitting down at the kitchen table he timidly began to eat the pancakes Piper had prepared for him.

Her kindness was making him uneasy and he was suspicious of her motivates. He had already agreed to do as she had asked so he didn't understand why she was being so nice to him. Not that he didn't like it, it just unsettled him.

"I thought that I'd meet you from school at lunchtime," Piper casually told him as she dumped more pancakes upon his already heavily stocked plate. "Thought I'd come with you to help you prepare for this afternoon.

'_More like you want to make sure I don't back out of it' _Chris thought to himself. He would never have said it out loud though. As nice as Piper was being to him right now, she still scared the crap out of him, even more so with her current change in demeanour.

"Errm…," he was just about to object but the scowl that flashed across Piper's face told him it was a bad idea "Ok… mom," he added the last world tentatively.

However it didn't seem to phase her, she just gave him a small smile and carried on working in the kitchen. Chris had begun to relax and went back to eating his breakfast when his father and Wyatt came in. Leo smiled warmly at him while Wyatt gave his normal '_When I get chance I'm going to poison you' _look.

Chris found himself watching the interaction between Wyatt and Piper with a longing to have the same. Granted Piper was being nicer to him but there was an agenda to it. When Piper smiled at Wyatt she smiled with her eyes. He could see the love that was between them and how easily they joked and mocked each other without any malice. He knew that if spoke to her like that, she was more than likely to blow him up.

Leo pulled Chris out of his thoughts "You ok son?" he asked concerned. Chris' relationship with the Leo from this world was considerably better than the relationship he had with his biological father. The Leo here had welcomed him with open arms and had even kept him safe several times when Piper and Wyatt had come close to disposing of him.

"Yeah," Chris answered "Just a bit nervous about later…" Chris trailed off knowing that he didn't need to elaborate on it further.

"Big day for our boy," Piper grinned as she ruffled his hair. Chris looked up at her surprised, she never showed him affection.

"He'll bottle it," Wyatt sneered, his hatred for Chris even more evident than normal .

"WYATT!" Piper barked at him "Leave your brother alone," Chris was startled by his mother's concern. It was one thing for her to start being nice to him, but defending him against Wyatt. This was very new, very new and ironically rather frightening. He liked predictable Piper, all right she wanted to kill him, but at least he knew where he stood. This Piper confused the hell out of him.

"He's not my brother," he spat.

"Shut up now!" she growled back at him, making it very clear that this conversation was over "Get to school,"

Picking up his bag, Wyatt glared at Chris before orbing out.

Chris sighed to himself, it would be nice to actually have a decent relationship with my brother it at least one world.

* * *

This world sucked!

It was so depressing, Matt hated being here. He had witnessed so much hatred, crime and violence already and he'd only been in this world a couple hours.

They had been successful in their plan to get here. They had used a power of three spell, but had incorporated the magic that both Leo and Matt had as an extra boost of power. The bear itself acting as a physical link between the boys due to it being past down from Matt to Chris gave them what they needed to locate Chris' soul. Matt had requested that all the family members had been present in the hope that together they were strong enough to ward off any danger that may come their way. Well that was what he told his mother and father anyway. Truth be told he hoped that if they put on a united front that Chris would see how much they wanted him home and that Leo was very much alive and well and that he hadn't in fact murdered his own father.

Now they just had to find Chris. Matt hoped it would be soon, the longer they were here the more danger they were in. Two sets of Charmed ones in one reality was a bad idea. Not only could they throw the balance of power off in a way that could be detrimental to everyone. But they ran the risk of both sets of sisters meeting each other, which could lead to one hell of a bloodbath.

Alternate realities, evil selves, sibling rivalries that could cause the destruction of the world were becoming a daily occurrence. '_And to think a couple of months ago my biggest problem was failing maths,' _Matt thought.

"Honey," Piper called bringing Matt's concentration back to the task at hand. "You ready to head over to the house?"

Matt nodded, he wanted to get his over with as quickly as possible. He had lied to his adoptive parents, telling them that he would be staying over at a friends house for a couple of days as he had a school project to work on. He knew Tyler would cover for him, but only because he had told him he was bunking off to go see a girl.

The walk to the Haliwell home seemed longer than normal. Maybe it was because Matt kept stopping to take in the surroundings. Twice he had seen people being mugged in the short space of five minutes. The second occurrence was that of two old ladies threatening a teenage boy in order to get his dinner money from him. Matt chuckled to himself, knowing full well on his world that one of those old ladies was actually dear sweet Mrs Miller who used to babysit him when he was a small child. He always thought of her as the kind elderly lady who gave him cookies and allowed him to stay up later than his parents had ordered. Here though she was very different.

The house that now stood in front of him was the place that he had recently began to call his second home. Identical in ever way apart from how he felt about it. Here it seemed so uninviting, yet something about it seemed to will him to want to climb the stone steps and venture inside.

Piper stopped him before he had chance. "We can't just go up and knock the door sweetie," she cautioned, "They may become aggressive or worse Chris may see us and disappear again," she added sadly.

Matt nodded in agreement. "What's our best option then?"

Piper turned to Leo "Can you sense for anyone in the house?"

Leo nodded. "Good," Piper answered, "We need you to sense for anyone in the house. Once it's free, we'll go in and assess what were up against, agreed?"

Everybody nodded in agreement with Piper's plan and moved to the side of the house to wait for all it's occupants to vacate.

* * *

**Authors note: Ok guys I promise you will soon find out what Chris has done, but I needed to integrate our Charmed ones into ****this world before hand. I promise all will be revealed soon.**

**Iris Sanchez 125 – Sorry if I confused you with the last chapter. The idea was that Chris has done the deed asked of him, yet the meeting of Laney is two days earlier, so he is looking back at events, so to speak. Anything I write that flips back and forth in the same chapter will be noted. Chris is roughly 15 and a half. He celebrated his fifteenth birthday in my previous story Blood Strangers**


	11. Mirror Image

Chapter Eleven

The time had come for me to face my demons! Lunchtime came and she was waiting for me at the school gates, just like she said she'd be. I swallowed hard and a wave if nausea made its way up from my stomach and into my throat. Could I really go through with what I was about to do? There was really only one way to find out and my mother was standing in front of me waiting to make sure I did it.

From so far away across the schoolyard she looked so big, so terrifying with her dark eyes staring back at me. Up close she was actually smaller than me. Only slightly, yet enough for it to be noticeable. If I had any backbone I would have told her to screw off, just like Wyatt would have, if he were asked to do something he didn't want to do. But I don't, I'm too scared! I'm not scared that she'll hurt me anymore, what I'm about to do will cause me more pain than she would ever be able to inflict physically. What I'm scared of is that I will never be able to get her to love me if I don't do as I'm asked.

Although I'm fifteen I'm still just a child and I need my mother's love, no matter how twisted that love is! No matter how many requirements I have to fulfil to get it.

Slowly I approached her, remembering the many times that in my early childhood I would come running from across the playground into my mother's waiting arms. But that was another time, another world and more importantly another version of my mother. I'm so glad that she has no idea of what this Piper has planned for me. I know that what I had done to my father that night on the beach had broken her heart. However if she knew of this forthcoming plan then it would have simply shattered it.

"You ready?" she asked. For once she seemed as apprehensive as I did.

'_Maybe she wouldn't make me do this'_ I thought to myself '_No this was the only way she will accept me. We both needed me to do this,'_

We walked through the streets in silence, each one becoming a blur as we moved into the next. Every so often I would catch her looking at me, but as soon as I noticed she'd turn away. I could feel my heart in my throat as we made our way closer to where I was to seal my fate, to change my very being.

* * *

They had waited until everyone had left the Halliwell Manor before venturing inside. The interior itself was much darker than that of their house back home. The walls were decorated with various items of weaponry. Each looked like it was used more in battle than left on the wall as decoration. Matt wondered how many good witches had been killed at the hands of the occupants of this home. The thought caused him to shudder; the very idea that there was another version of him enjoying the misery of others frightened him.

Walking through the hallway towards the stairs the Halliwell's heard a loud gasp. Turning around in both surprise and fear they noticed Piper holding a small photograph. Matt could see tears forming in his mother's eyes and he was about to ask her what had upset her when his father beat him to it. Walking over to her Leo inspected the photograph and put a protective arm around her. He had recognised the image instantly, it was taken just after Chris had been born. Piper was proudly holding him with so much love in her eyes. Piper's sudden sobbing was heard by everyone.

Pulling her close, Leo kissed her head softly and whispered something soothing, comforting her like he should have done all those other times she had needed him. He'd been too busy of course in his own personal hell to notice anyone else's.

"We'll get him back Piper," Leo said determined, "I promise,"

"I hope so Leo," she sniffed drying her eyes "He's my baby and I miss him so much,"

"We all do mom," Matt added "Were not leaving here without him," He began up the stairs, with his parents and aunts following quickly behind. Reaching the attic Matt noticed the book sitting in its usual place in the middle of the room.

"Well at least the books here," Matt observed making his way over to it. Scanning the page briefly Matt quickly realised that physically this was an exact copy of their book. Placing his hand on the page to turn it the book shut abruptly, making everyone jump. Frustrated Matt went to place his hands back on it but it quickly shot off the stand and landed on the floor a few feet away.

"Damn it!" Matt cursed under his breath.

"Matthew," Piper chastised "Language!"

Turning to his mother Matt rolled his eyes '_Was she really telling me off at a time like this?' he thought _

"Why won't it stay still?" he asked attempting to pick it up. Before he had chance to make another grab for it someone picked it up for him.

"The book doesn't trust good magic," a cold voice told him "You won't be able to touch it,"

Matt stood up straight to face the person who had answered him. His eyes widened in both shock and fear. Glancing back at his family they each had the same expression on their faces. Swallowing hard Matt turned back to the person holding the book and came face to face with his own image.

"Your me?" Matt's voice shook as he looked directly at who stood starring back at him. He couldn't take his eyes off the boy in front of him. Although he knew that he was in an alternative reality, seeing himself came as quite a shock. He began to think about what it would have been like to grow up in the manor like his double before him. To be known as Wyatt instead of Matt.

"So it would seem," Wyatt answered coldly. Looking over his doubles shoulder Wyatt finally noticed the others. "Hello Mother,"

The harshness of his voice frightened Piper. How could this boy looking back at her be her child? His eyes were dark and full of such anger. "Wyatt," she whispered quietly afraid that if she said his name any louder he would confirm that he was the boy in question.

Piper noticed quickly that it wasn't just his harsh eyes that were different to Matt's. Wyatt had longer unruly hair that hung down to his shoulders. His blonde locks looked dirty, like they hadn't been washed for weeks. His facial features were identical to Matt's but his physic was broader, making him look older than his sixteen and a half years.

"Well you sure aren't doppelgangers are you?" Wyatt observed waking Piper from her thoughts "If you were seriously trying to impersonate our family then the bright clothes were a bad idea. So who exactly are you?"

"Were from an alternative reality," Phoebe answered

Wyatt grinned, his dark blue eyes lighting up as if he had finally solved his biggest problem. " Then I think I have something you might want,"

"And what's that?" Matt asked looking directly into his own eyes.

Wyatt's smile grew larger "Chris!"

* * *

Piper had led Chris to what seemed like an abandoned warehouse. The area of town they were in was extremely unsavoury. It was the sort of place Chris would never have imagined venturing into alone, however he knew that the most frightening creature lurking in this vicinity was actually his mother and no one would be stupid enough to mess with her, so in some ways he was perfectly safe.

Venturing inside Chris noticed how dark the unit was. Treading carefully not to stand on any of the broken glass or used syringes that lay scattered across the floor Chris and Piper made their way over to a door in the corner of the room. This place would forever be etched upon Chris' mind forever. The smell alone was enough to make anyone turn and run in the other direction. It was a mixture of stale musty air along with the stench of urine and vomit. Chris could feel a wave of nausea pass over him as he fought to hold his breath. It was clear that the occupants of this room both past and present were probably homeless or heavily into drugs or alcohol.

"Why here mom?" Chris bravely asked

'Shh…all in good time Christopher," Piper answered giving him a smile "I need you to keep very quiet,"

Nodding silently Chris followed his mother quietly through the door to where he noticed that they were no longer on ground level. They were on what looked like a scaffolding platform with metal stairs that led down to a small room, which had four women in. Chris couldn't really make out their faces from this high up but he could tell there were only four of them.

He watched in silence as Piper pulled out a small blade and several small bottles, which contained different coloured liquids in them. He knew this had been coming, he had agreed to it, but here in reality there was a large part of him that didn't think he could go through with it.

His mind wandered over to the other Chris, the one originally from this world. If he had grown up here instead of being kidnapped as a child would he have been doing this. It would have probably been second nature to him by now. Piper probably would have had him battling good witches before he could crawl. Would he feel regret after this? Would he become a monster? Or would he still be Chris Halliwell but just that little bit colder? He wasn't sure.

"Mom," he whispered "What if I fail?" The fear rising in him second by second.

"You won't fail my darling," she whispered and for a second it felt like he was back talking to his real mom, the one who had raised him for the first fifteen years of his life. "You're a Halliwell," she continued determined "You were born to do this,"

Chris thought back to his alternate self again. Maybe it would be easier to become this other Chris than he thought. He pictured himself looking at his reflection in the mirror. If he were to survive this in one piece, then the Chris Halliwell from this world would need to be the one staring back at him.


	12. Free falling

**Chapter Twelve**

Piper watched this boy who would become her son with curious fascination. He had a gift that was for sure. The power he possessed was intense for such a young boy. Pride filled Piper's heart. The witches below her didn't know what had hit them, when the attack had started. Chris was quick, extremely quick. Orbing in behind the blonde, he stuck the blade into her before anyone had realised that he was present.

Observing the youngest Halliwell in action for the first time, Piper could imagine the boy she lost so many years ago, all grown up. Until now she had done everything in her power to push the boy away. She'd be the first to admit that part of the reason had been because of the boy's heritage. However a small part of her felt torn between the child she lost and the child she gained. They weren't the same and she felt both scared and guilty at the same time. She was scared of loving someone else the way she loved her little boy. She also felt guilty for wanting to love this boy, for replacing her Chris. Giving into her emotional distress was something that Piper Halliwell found difficult to do so she pushed aside her feelings and returned her attention back to the scene playing out before her.

The attack was brutal, but Chris had enjoyed every moment of it! Something inside of him had snapped. Fifteen years of pain, resentment and self-doubt came flooding out with every blow that he inflicted upon this coven of witches. The adrenaline inside was intoxicating, he found himself wanting more and more, until it was so intense that he was finding it hard to breath.

The adrenaline pumping through his veins made him feel like he was flying. At the height of the trouble back home with his parents and Matt, Chris had jumped from the top of the Golden Gate Bridge. Having consumed half a bottle of Whisky he had stolen from P3, he had the ingenious idea that jumping from the top of bridge. On his way down the feeling that consumed him was exhilarating, although at the same time it felt peaceful. He orbed out just as his bottom half hit the freezing cold water, but for that brief moment while free falling he had considered plunging into the ocean and leaving his fate up to chance. In that one moment he had never felt so alive. Just like he did right now.

Power he didn't know he possessed reared its ugly head as he slaughtered the first witch. The pretty blonde hadn't known what had hit her, as he had appeared quickly from behind and stabbed her with the blade.

This feeling inside made him feel alive, it was like a drug that he was addicted to and he wanted more. He thought that he might feel guilt or disgust at himself, he was almost sure of it, but all he felt was pleasure. After the first witch had dropped to the floor in agony, Chris left her and quickly moved onto the second.

Chris used his telekinesis to slam the small red head into the nearest wall. She landed with a thud, dazed and confused. Chris began to make his way over to her, but quickly span around to the sound of one of her kin approaching from behind.

With a blade in her hand, Chris knew that she was ready to attack. He blocked her attempt by restricting her breathing with a wave of his hand. Clutching at her throat she began to struggle as she dropped to her knees, eyes wide fear betraying them. "Please," she begged gasping for breath.

Chris seemed unmoved as he turned his attention to the fourth female he identified running towards him at great speed. She flew backwards and was instantly pinned against the far wall. Chris look back towards the blonde and the girl who had been struggling to breathe. Both were now silent and unmoving upon the floor.

"I'll deal with you in time," Chris coldly told the brunette pinned against the wall. Walking back over to the red headed girl cowering against the wall he had thrown her into, he noticed she wasn't much older than him.

"Please don't…." she cried "I haven't done anything wrong,"

Kneeling down next to her, he took her chin in his hand, forcing her to look directly at him. Eyes locked Chris noticed how warm her frightened hazel eyes looked. Yet when she looked back at him all she saw was darkness behind his piercing jaded eyes.

He spoke slowly, his voice cold yet inviting. "Whether you have done anything wrong or not is irrelevant to me,"

The girl looked at him confused as he continued to explain. "You see for me this isn't about you, it's about me and who I have to be. Need to be in fact,"

Rising to his feet Chris pulled one of the small bottles Piper had given him from his pocket. He held it up for the witch to see, taking in her terrified look before throwing it at her. As the bottle shattered, she screamed loudly like she was being burnt from the inside out.

Chris' eyes were alight with excitement as he watched her burn and that feeling of free falling from the bridge was back. Every part of his body felt like electricity was being surged through it and he never wanted this feeling to fade.

Slowly he walked back towards he witch pinned against the wall. Defiantly she showed no fear like the girl he had just watched burn. "Who are you?" she asked.

A small smiled formed on his lips, at last he knew who he was "Christopher Halliwell," he answered. Holding out his hand Chris watched as a small blue and black ball formed within it. "Remember that name, it'll be the last you'll ever hear," he finished before throwing the ball at her.

Once the girl's cries had been silence with her violent demise, Chris turned back to survey the damage he had caused. He did a double take! Piper stood in front of him arms wide open, warm and inviting.

Chris slowly walked into them, evidently unsure and suspicious of her, yet still wanting this display of affection. He nestled into her warm embrace, at last feeling like he belonged.

"Welcome home Christopher," she whispered a small smile forming upon her cold lips.


	13. Two sides to Christopher Halliwell

**Chapter Thirteen**

The funny thing about guilt is that it can hit you from nowhere! Even if you convince yourself that what you did needed to be done, it can still knock the wind from you.

Wrapped in my mother's arms, I knew in that one moment she was proud of me. That she loved me like the son she had lost. Because of her I could bury my guilt. Or so I thought. However on returning to the manor I was met with the face of the mother I had lost and that guilt resurfaced.

The walk home had been different to what I had expected. Piper, or as I should now say mom, held my hand all the way. I smiled inwardly to myself. Normally this public display of affection who have made me embarrassed and I would have shied away from it. No fifteen year old boy wants to hold mommy's hand. But I did! I never wanted to let go, because finally I belonged. Thing's were going to get better now, I told myself. Here I now had both a mom and dad that were on my side and even wanted me around. Wyatt might still pose a problem, but if I could survive after what I had done, I could defiantly handle my psychotic big brother. I might even one day be a match for him.

My inner confidence was growing, I could do this, I could be a darklighter. I had already killed! My own father, being my first victim. My brain flashed with images of Leo Wyatt lying cold and still in the wet sand. The violent wind howling loudly and the waves crashing against the cliff, making my mother's strained cries fade into the background. I shook myself out of my thoughts. Christopher Perry Halliwell wouldn't think like this anymore. He would go with whatever took his fancy. He would no longer answer to anyone but himself.

Opening the door to the Manor, I felt like I was walking through it for the very first time. Seeing it like I had never seen it before. This had been my home all my life, yet it was all new to me. I was seeing it through alert eyes.

Dumping my school bag on my bed I began to make my way back downstairs to help with dinner but was distracted by voices coming from the attic.

"Getting Christopher to go anywhere with me may be difficult,"

'_Who was Wyatt talking to?'_ I quietly made my way up the stairs to get hear the conversation more clearly.

"Christopher and myself have a turbulent relationship," Wyatt explained coldly.

'You've got that right' The sarcasm dripping through my thoughts.

"Well whatever state your relationship with Chris is in is irrelevant, we need to get him out of this house"

Hang on a minute! I recognise that voice.

"Dad?" I was standing in the door way looking directly at the man who I had shot. My voice was quiet and shaky but they had all heard it. I was trembling, terrified of the people closest to me, each one starring at me, looking as shocked as I was.

Leo was the first to move, he made his way over to me slowly. He seemed unsure of what my reaction would be. All I could think was 'He's not dead' and as much as I hated him I had never wanted him dead. The relief washed over me and for a moment I felt calm.

That feeling of calm didn't last long though. She was right behind him, my mother's warm brown eyes glistening with my shed tears. "Baby," she whispered reaching out for me. I moved back slightly, uncomfortable with the situation. What were they doing here? Why now? Why not before I had carried out my crime in the hope of acceptance?

And then it hit me, that wave of guilt! It was overwhelming, I felt like I'd had been stabbed with a thousand knives. She would know, she was my mother and I had never been able to keep anything from her. She would know what I had become. I had let her down and she would hate me.

I kept flashing to the faces of those poor girls, so afraid of what was to become their fate. I had caused that! For a moment that feeling had been like sweet ecstasy, in that moment I was the Chris Halliwell from this world. But now with her soft features looking back at me, her warm smile so inviting, I was just me. The Chris Halliwell I had always been and the thought of what I had done repulsed me.

"Mommy," I whispered sounding so childish that it was almost embarrassing. But I didn't care. That's who she was, my mommy. The one person I could truly rely on and I had betrayed everything she had taught in me

I moved to sit down on the couch and looked directly at Wyatt. "Did you do this?" I asked coldly "Was this your idea?"

A small smile crept across his stony face. "You give me too much credit Christopher. I'm afraid to say this actually has nothing to do with me. Well this version of me anyway,"

For the first time I noticed Matt. He looked smaller than I remembered. He'd lost weight and the happy go lucky smile that used to play across his features had vanished. He really was the only one who could genuinely read me. I could tell by the way he looked at me that he knew there was more to my behaviour than just shock. "Hey Chris,"

I smiled for the first time since I had seen any of them. It was nice to see my brother smiling at me and knowing it wasn't because he was plotting my demise. I'd take Matt over Wyatt any day! "Hey Matt," I whispered "What's up?"

"Not much," he shot back still smiling "Just experienced inter-dimensional travel in order to retrieve my wayward little brother," His grin widened, making small talk he asked "What about you, been up to much?"

I heard Wyatt chuckle and I shot my head round quickly, giving him an icy stare. "Nope not much," I answered casually, hoping that Wyatt wouldn't blow my secret "Spent the day at school, came home to find the family I thought I'd never see again sitting in the attic," I looked directly over at Leo "I..I thought you were dead," I whispered ashamed "I thought that I had killed you,"

Leo was quickly at my side, he knelt down beside me and stroked my hair. This was the most affection that he's ever shown me causing my eyes to well up and tears to quickly fall. "It's alright," he said gently.

"No it isn't," More tears were threatening to fall so I abruptly stood up and made my way over to the window. "I'm so sorry, I never meant for it to happen. You don't know how much I regretted that night on the beach. What I did was terrible,"

My mom made her way over to me again this time taking me in her arms. Resting my head on her shoulder, just like I had done with my other mother less than an hour before, she began to stroke my back. "It'll be alright now baby, I promise. Were going to take you home,"

"He is home!" A cold voice answered from behind me. Looking up I realised that both my mother's were starring straight at each other with equal hatred in their eyes.

**Authors note:**

**Iris Sanchez 125: Your question about the Chris from this world has got me thinking. When I began writing this story he hadn't honestly factored him showing up in a physical sense within the story. However I have now considered the idea of Wyatt and the alternative Chris meeting at the same time as Matt and Chris did in the good world and with thought I kind of like the idea of neither of them wanting to make much effort with the other purely because neither would give over a friendly persona. This encounter is something that I am considering doing as a one shot once I've finished the enemy within.**

**To all my readers I must also apologise for the long gap between my updating of the last chapter. Life has been a bit of a git recently, but I am now focused and committed to finish this story as it has always been intended to play out.**


	14. More in common than we thought

Chapter Fourteen

Ever had a moment in your life where you honestly wished that you didn't exist. This is my moment! I wanted the world to open and swallow me up. Wipe me off this planet. Actually scrap that, I want to go back to the night that I was conceived and cause a massive row between my parents, in the hope that they'd be too pissed with each other to want to ever get frisky again.

No such luck! No guzzling vortex to swipe me away, no time machine to interrupt my conception. Just two sets of eyes starring darkly at each other, ready to attack the other if necessary. In this moment I couldn't tell which was the good Piper and which was the bad. They both looked as terrifying as the other.

"What do you mean he's home," Mom asked her evil counterpart "He belongs with us," My mom looked like she was about to explode!

"This is Christopher's home," Piper told mom coldly "Do you really think I would let you take my son away,"

Mom's face darkened in response to the last comment "How. Dare. You," she spat "He is my son," I hadn't seen her this angry in along time. "I gave birth to him, I brought him up, I…,"

"..abandoned him," Piper finished coldly. I watched as my mom began to turn a rather dark shade of purple. "You forgot about him. Once you had found your Wyatt," she acknowledged Matt with a nod of her head and carried on "You forgot about him,"

"Like you did with me you mean," Wyatt spat venomously

Piper look surprised at Wyatt's outburst "I haven't abandoned you Wyatt,"

His face was like stone as he calmly carried on "You have done to me mother, what she did to Chris," he answered pointing at my mom. Turning back to Piper he carried on his verbal attack. "You have been so fixated on getting Chris back that you and Dad have forgotten about me. Not that I was ever at the top of his priority list anyway,"

"That's not true Wyatt," I turned to the voice of my father from this world. He had joined us in the attic and I could feel the tension between him and Wyatt. It was like the tension that I felt with my real father. All the resentment that I felt for my Leo paralleled how Wyatt felt about his Leo and Chris.

It was sad to think that for two people who hated each other so much we actually had more in common than we thought.

"No!" Wyatt eyed his Leo sceptically "Let's face it dad I've never ranked at the top of your list have I,"

I watched both versions of my father closely. Both had to admit they were guilty of that.

I was pulled from my thoughts as Wyatt carried on his onslaught. It was packed full of years of rejection and resentment. "Your relentless quest to find Chris always put me to the back of the list. I'm sometimes wonder if you even remember that I exist,"

Wyatt laughed coldly "And you know what the funniest thing is? You finally gave up on Chris too,"

Leo looked confused, but I understood. "He means because of me!" I answered solemnly.

Leo was about to object but I carried on "I'm not your Chris," I looked over at my family and then back at Leo "I'm theirs. I've been trying so hard to be someone I'm not in the hope that I'll belong, but I don't. When we met you were so desperate to replace the son you'd lost and I was so desperate to have a father who wanted me,"

I heard my father catch his breath at my last comment. Part of me felt guilty but I knew that if I didn't carry now I would never find the courage again to say this. "We both know that my being here over the last couple of months has been… difficult,"

"It hasn't been that bad," Leo began

I gave a quiet chuckle "Oh please between praying that Wyatt doesn't stick a darklighter arrow in my back or mom smothering me in my sleep, were hardly the brady's are we,"

Piper approached me "Things are different now," she grinned "What you did today proves that you are our son,"

I swallowed hard, I felt sick to my stomach. The dread that filled me was overwhelming. She was going let slip my biggest secret and there was nothing I could do about it.

"What are you talking about?" Phoebe asked. I could tell from the look on her face that she could feel my apprehension with her empathy power.

Piper's face contorted into a cold smug smile "Why don't you tell them sweetie," My eyes were begging her. Pleading. Praying that she would show me mercy and not shatter the illusion that my mother had when she looked at her sweet boy. I was no longer him, yet I wasn't this Piper's Chris either. I didn't belong anymore, that was something that I would have to come to terms with. But I didn't want my mother to remember me as a murderer.

"Tell us what honey," My mom asked, she was now at my side. She placed her hand on my arm supportively and it broke my heart knowing that I was about to break hers,"

"Please," I spoke above barely a whisper. Unshed tears glistened in my eyes "Don't,"

The look on this Piper's face was pure evil, more so now than I had ever seen before. She knew she held all the cards, he always had. Ever since we had met she held the key to my happiness and she could crush it so easily.

"But sweetie I want everyone to know how proud I am of my baby boy,"

Mom stepped forward to stand between me and Piper "He's my boy not yours, I raised him,"

"And I turned him into a killer," I closed my eyes but the tears began to silently fall.

"WHAT!" my parents' voices were in shocked unison.

"You're lying," My mother growled. I thought in that moment she would blow her counterpart up, she looked so angry.

"Am I?" Piper stated "Let's ask Chris himself,"

The room turned in my direction and I felt like an ant under a microscope. I couldn't look my mother in the eye. The shame was too much. I had blood on my hands for all to see.

"Peanut?" My mom didn't need to ask the question, she could tell by the look on my face that Piper was telling the truth.

My mom reached out as I tried to turn away from her "Sweetheart look at me," But I couldn't bring myself to do so. I tried to release myself from her hold but she held me tight at the shoulders, forcing me to look directly at her.

All I could do was break down. Tears began to flow fast and hard and my body shook with sobs. "I'm sorry mom, I'm so sorry please don't hate me,"

She didn't respond, she just stood there speechless. The silence was deafening and lasting longer than I had hoped. I turned back to see Piper smiling smugly at me. Something inside me snapped! I'd always been so frightened to stand up to this version of my mother. She could be terrifying when she wanted, they both could but still she was the one that frightened me the most. But right now somewhere inside I found that courage.

I pulled out of my mother's grasp and with lightning speed I grabbed Piper around the throat. Forcing her back against the nearest wall I began to restrict her breathing. I wanted to make it all go away, all the pain I was feeling, and all the disgust I had for myself. All the anger I held inside. If I killed her it would be over. She was the reason for all this; with her gone I could be me again.

"Chris!" My mother cried from behind me.

"No don't stop him," I turned my head towards Wyatt who was holding my mother back. I eyed him suspiciously.

"Maybe were more a like than you think Chris," his words sent a chill through me. "Don't you think I haven't tried to kill her myself," he grinned.

Turning back to the woman who would be my mother, I quickly noticed the smirk upon her face. I had loosened my grip slightly around her neck allowing her to talk, even if it was with great difficulty.

"See," she struggled "Your more my son than you ever thought," A grin appeared upon her face. "I'd have been rather disappointed if you hadn't reacted like this,"

I dropped my hands to my side and shook my head in realisation. "You wanted to push me over the edge. Why?"

Her voice stayed level and cold "Because by breaking you I could make you into what you have become,"

"A killer!" I answered disgusted with myself.

"My son," she corrected.

It was then and there I realised that this had been her plan all along, ever since she realised I wasn't her Chris. She knew I would do anything to be accepted even if it meant sacrificing who I really am. Looking back at my family one last time, I tried to make a permanent memory of them all. This would be the last time I saw them.

I closed my eyes and listened to my mothers gasp as she saw me disappear into a mass of black orbs.


	15. In need of a friend

**Chapter Fifteen**

When Chris orbed out of the Manor he had no idea what his next move was. He was completely alone. Making sure he had blocked his family from sensing him, he began to walk the dark streets of San Francisco. A couple of days ago being out at this time of night in this world would have terrified Chris. But now it was different. Now he had nothing else to lose, and besides, the way he was feeling right now anyone who came near would be in for a nasty surprise.

He found himself just wondering, no real direction in mind. He didn't have a future now so what was the point of a direction! Without realising it his wondering had led him to a familiar street and before he knew it Chris was standing in front of a house he recognised.

Closing his eyes briefly he made the decision to venture inside. He re materialised on the landing of the first floor. Hearing voices, he quickly hid in one of the empty rooms. Looking around Chris quickly noticed that he had entered one of the bedrooms. The room was pretty bare for a bedroom. Everything from the walls to the bedspread was white and there were very little personal effects. Chris made his way over to the dressing table. His fingers scanned a picture of a young girl and a woman who looked like she was in her late thirties, which was attached to the mirror.

"Want to explain to me what your doing in my room?"

Turning around Chris caught the surprised eyes of the girl in front of him. He caught his breath when he fully caught sight of her. She was still as beautiful as ever.

When the figure in front of her turned around to face her, Chris was the last person she was expecting to see. "What are you doing here Chris," she asked slightly annoyed "You bail on me this afternoon, then appear in my room tonight,"

It was only then she noticed he was shaking. "I'm sorry Laney," he looked so small, so lonely she couldn't stay mad. "I didn't know where else to go," She grabbed his hand and led him over to the bed.

"What's happened Chris?"

He didn't answer, he just starred into space. After a couple of minutes Laney couldn't take anymore of the silence. "CHRIS SNAP OUT OF IT!"

At last she had gotten his attention "Please just tell me what's wrong," she asked concerned "Your scaring me,"

"Sorry," his voice was barely above a whisper "Can I use your bathroom please?"

She looked at him slightly puzzled, he was avoiding her questions "Erm, sure it's in there," she said. She watched him as he got up from the bed and made his way into the bathroom. He moved so slowly, almost in a comatose state.

Shutting the door behind him Chris briefly rested his head against the door. He was so tired; he had no energy left to fight. Moving over to the sink he looked at the person starring back at him in the mirror. The person in front of him he barely recognised. So pale, so hollow looking!

Wanting to clear his thoughts he filled the sink with water, before submerging his face in it's freezing temperature. Chris didn't even try to hold his breath, he wanted the water to overtake him. To make him forget. To give him peace!

Finally when it became time his body took control from where his mind had stopped and the natural need of survival took over and he began to cough and gasp. Pulling himself up out of the water Chris stumbled back against the nearest wall and sank down against it, allowing himself to sob freely. He'd lost everything. He was hollow inside. Christopher Perry Halliwell was dead and this stranger stood in his place!

* * *

Laney heard his cries from the bedroom. Alarmed she made her way over to the bathroom and tapped lightly on the door. "Chris," she whispered. He didn't answer so she opened the door. The scene in front of her broke her heart. Chris was curled up into a ball sobbing like a baby. She went to him in an instant. He look so small and so scared like a child who had woken from a terrible nightmare but still thought they were in the middle of it. Maybe he was. Whatever had happened was still haunting him and Laney had a feeling that it would for quite sometime. If he had noticed her there he never showed it, in the end she just pulled him close. He allowed himself to fall into her arms and clutched at her shirt with his fists. Laney rocked him back and forth slowly making-shushing noises while she stroked is hair.

They stayed there for what seemed forever, just sitting against the wall, neither really saying anything to the other. Chris' sobs quietened down into soft sniffles and the occasionally murmuring of sorry. Laney didn't know what he was sorry for, but right now it didn't matter, all that matter was he needed a friend.

Finally she shifted herself up off the ground pulling him with her. Chris quickly straightened and wiped away his tears "I better be going," he said calmer than before but she could tell he was embarrassed.

"No wait," she placed her hand upon his shoulder stopping him heading towards the door "If you don't want to talk about it that's ok. But where are you going?"

"I don't know," he answered truthfully "I..I don't have anywhere to go,"

"Stay here tonight,"

"Where?"

"Here in my room," Laney answered

Chris looked at her surprised. Picking up on this she chuckled "I don't mean like that Chris," she blushed "You look like you need a friend and something tells me that you can't really go home,"

Chris nodded in confirmation. "Ok that settles it," she smiled pulling him down onto the bed next to her "I promise I won't take advantage of you,"

Chris laughed softly but it never reached his eyes "Thank you," he whispered as they curled up together on the bed and allowed sleep to consume them.


	16. The Judgement of Solomon

Chapter Sixteen

Matt stood against one of the walls in the attic watching both versions of his mother intently. For two people who were supposed to be the pole opposites of each other, they were more a like than either would admit. The thought made him chuckle but he kept it to himself, knowing that both would try to blow him up if they knew what he was thinking.

For the last hour both of them had been threatening to vanquish each other. They were two evenly matched for one to get the upper hand though, but the endless threats were starting to grate upon everyone present. They had been fighting over Chris like he was a shiny new toy. Matt just hoped that they both didn't find him at the same time because he couldn't be sure it wouldn't end in a tug of war.

He thought back to a story his mother had told him as a small boy, about a child who was fought over by two women. It was suggested that they split the child in half to keep both mothers happy. Matt could see evil Piper agreeing to that, even if it was just to spite her counterpart. He was pulled from his thoughts by a frustrated voice.

"Will you two pack it in!" Darklighter Leo growled as he and his double flipped through the book of shadows. "This is not helping us find Chris,"

"Why bother?" Everybody looked up at Wyatt's venomous comment "All I'm saying is he doesn't seem to want to be found and it's no loss to me if he isn't,"

Matt scowled at his double. It baffled him that this person in front of him was actually his counterpart. He couldn't imagine being this hateful. It frightened him slightly. "Yeah well we care. The sooner we get him back the sooner we can leave this place,"

"He's right," Matt looked up at his father in gratitude. "Matt if you were Chris where would you go?"

Matt thought for a moment, what would he do if he were in his little brother's position. "I'd turn to Chris," Matt whispered solemnly. His mother gave him a sad smile. She knew how much he missed his little brother and how badly he wanted him home. "Failing that I'd go to a friend,"

"Does he have any friends here?" Piper asked her evil counterpart.

"How the hell should I know," Evil Piper shrugged.

"I don't know," Piper spat back "Maybe because that's something a mother usually knows,"

"Don't lecture me," Evil Piper yelled "You didn't even know that Chris was spending time with my Leo until it was too late,"

The look that Piper gave her evil self was murderous. "Right that's it," she growled "I've had enough of you,"

"Like I'm frightened of a good little witch like you,"

Matt rolled his eyes and looked at his double "Here we go again,"

Wyatt snickered "It's like watching a two way mirror,"

"I resent that comment," Piper looked outraged.

"Me too,"

A high-pitched whistle cut through the air "Back on target people," Paige exclaimed.

"Your right, this is stupid," Piper sighed rubbing her eyes "We just need to think. If you were a fifteen year old boy where's the first place you'd go?"

The room was exceptionally quiet, each member of the family looking at the other for an answer.

"His girlfriend would be a good place to start," All eyes darted to the smiling face of Wyatt leaning against the wall.

* * *

Laney looked at the digital display on the alarm clock next to her. 3.20am, it looked like she wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight. Chris had been tossing and turning all night. Luckily his whimpering was quiet enough not to wake the rest of her family. She had visions of her father chasing him down the road with his shotgun. Giggling softly to herself, she thought maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration. Her father didn't own a shotgun.

Turning her attention back to Chris she heard him moan out again. She stroked his hair softly wishing to know what was going on in that head of his.

_Chris watched himself from a distance. He knew he was dreaming because his other self was no more than three years old. He watched as the child in front of him looked nervously from side to side, frightened to move in case it was the wrong decision. Chris' eyes followed the direction of the child, now knowing why there was such panic upon his younger features. _

_In front of him stood his mother. Both versions of her, from his present spot Chris could see both fighting for the small child's attention. They stood either side of him, both calling out his name, both craving his attention. The child looked up at him with his warm green eyes, such confusion written all over his face._

_Chris heard his mother's sweet voice "Baby don't be frightened, just come to mommy," Her smile was so radiant that Chris felt his heart sore._

"_No sweetheart," Chris heard the other version of his mother talk to his younger self "Come to me. I'm mommy you know that. The other one isn't real,"_

_Fear and confusion was growing quicker and quicker upon his face as he stayed routed to the spot not knowing which way to turn. The decision was quickly made for him as both Piper's quickly approached. Both trying to make a grab for him before the other. The child began to fuss as both of them began to pull on his shirt. Desperately they pulled him towards themselves, trying to get him away from the other. He looked like a small rag doll that two children were fighting over. _

_Chris watched in horror as they furiously fought for him. He was sure that if they carried on he would be split in two. _

"_Leave him alone!" Chris had thought it, but it wasn't his voice that had said it. It came from behind him and had surprised the two women enough to stop them fighting._

_His younger self smiled at the figure appearing from the shadows and pulled himself from the women's grasp. The child made his way over to the voice and Chris turned in the direction of the figure. He watched himself take the hand of the familiar face in front of him._


	17. The same goal

Chapter Seventeen

"What girlfriend?" Both Pipers' asked Wyatt with interest.

"Looks like neither of you really know Chris as well as you think. Seems our boy is quite the Romeo apparently," Wyatt teased.

Everyone turned in the direction of Matt who was chuckling to himself. "What?" he asked with all eyes upon him.

"Why are you laughing?" Piper asked accusingly

"Just the thought of Chris as some sort of Casanova just makes me smile,"

"I think it's sweet," Phoebe piped in "First love,"

"First lust more like," Wyatt sneered. "Hey I've read his diary. His thoughts are anything but pure,"

Darklighter Leo cheered "That's my boy," he grinned.

The look whitelighter Leo gave him was deadly "You'll find he's my boy not yours,"

The darklighter bristled, and growled at his double. "Don't start you two," Paige sighed "I've got enough of a headache listening to those two go at it," She indicated at the two Pipers' in front of her. "Besides were getting off target again,"

"Yep," Wyatt chuckled "We were just discussing Chris getting laid,"

"We were not!" Piper snapped shuddering. The thought unsettled her, after all he was still her little boy.

Matt grinned knowing how embarrassed Chris would be if he knew what was being said about him. He was secretly pleased that his brother had at least found somebody nice here, whether she was his girlfriend or not. He hoped wherever he was, he was safe. This world was dark and frightened Matt greatly. He hated the thought of Chris being alone here.

'_If only there was such a thing as Chris cam?' _he thought. The thought made him chuckled but then it came to him from nowhere, there might be away of finding Chris. Deciding to keep his idea from the warring adults before him, he knew he needed to get away.

"This is doing my head in," Matt sighed " I'm heading downstairs, if you find anything shout me,"

"Matthew," Piper reprimanded, "We need to put our heads together if were going to find your brother,"

"Yeah well when you guys stop acting like children maybe we will," he spat as he headed down the stairs.

He had to admit he did feel guilty at sniping at his mom but he needed an excuse to be alone. He opened the door of Chris' room and ventured inside. Looking around the room he noticed two beds instead one there was back home. He smiled to himself thinking about how different things would have been if he hadn't been kidnapped all those years ago. How he would have shared a room with his brother instead of this Wyatt. Shaking himself from the thought, he knew he wouldn't have much time before someone came looking for him, so he needed to work fast. He began searching the room, opening draws and cupboards in search of what may hold the key to finding his brother. Getting on his hands and knees he ducked his head under one of the beds, but still he found nothing.

"Dare I ask why you've got your head under my bed?" Matt turned in the direction of his double and quickly got to his feet.

He knew there was no point lying and Wyatt maybe of some help so he decided to come clean. "I'm looking for Chris' diary," he answered.

"Want to read the writings of a depressive anti social hormonal teenager do we?" Wyatt answered sarcastically. Off Matt's hard stare Wyatt relented and made his way over to Chris' bed and held up the mattress. Pulling a small leather book from under it Wyatt held it in his hands, not ready to give it over just yet. "The majority of it is self pitying mush, however the last couple of entries are extremely entertaining, especially when he describes his feelings for this girl," he chuckled.

He held his hand out for Matt to take it but at the last moment snatched it back. "Dare I ask why you want it? I very much doubt it's just because you want to write a teen angst sitcom and need the research,"

Frustrated Matt sighed "I'm hoping that by taking a look at it I might be able to get a reading off it," Wyatt looked clueless "You know," Matt continued "A vision,"

"I have that power and I've held this book several times and I haven't ever got a reading off it,"

"Yeah, well I have a deeper connection with Chris than you, which isn't difficult is it," he spat "Besides it worked before back home, so just give it me ok,"

Again Wyatt almost gave Matt the book, but pulled back again at the last moment "Nah I don't think so," he teased.

"Look!" Matt's anger began to rise "I thought you wanted to get rid of Chris?"

"I do,"

"Then if I can find him, without any of them knowing," he motioned to upstairs "Maybe I can convince him to come home with me, without your Leo and Piper being able to stop it. We both get what we want then. You get rid of Chris and I get my brother back,"

A smile spread across Wyatt's face. He liked that idea. He quite enjoyed being an only child. Although he had never had his father's attention he did miss having his mothers. "All yours," he said as he handed Matt the book.

Matt fingered the leather bound journal that held his brothers most private thoughts. His conscious began to get the better of him and he felt a tinge of guilt at the thought of riffling through Chris' writings. However he needed to find some clue to where Chris was and right now he was running out of ideas.

He began flipping through the pages reading various passages in the hope that there would be some clue to where he was or would spark off a vision.

_December 4__th_

_I've been here nearly a week now and things aren't as good as I hoped they would be. Dad told me it would take a while for me to settle in and for the family to get used to having me around. It feels really weird having aunts and a mom who can barely stand the sight of me._

_My main concern is Wyatt though, every time I turn around I feel like he's about to stab a knife in my back. We had a huge fight the other day and I found myself hiding behind the sofa dodging energy balls. _

Glaring at his double Matt went back to flipping through the pages.

_December 25__th_

_I miss home so much today __ It hurts so such that I can barely think about it, let alone write it. _

_January 9__th_

_I had another dream about dad last night. I was standing in a crowd of people calling for him, yet he was nowhere to be seen. People were pushing past me and I felt like I was lost._

_When I found him, he didn't recognise me. He told me I wasn't his son and then he disappeared._

_I'd give anything to have taken back that night on the beach. I murdered my father and maybe now my unhappiness and isolation here is my punishment._

Sadness overwhelmed Matt. Reading through his brother's torment was harrowing. All the pain that Chris felt was evident in these pages. How he had survived here for so long amazed Matt, he had a strength that Matt himself didn't believe he possessed.

_February 12__th_

_Yesterday Mom asked me to do something unthinkable. She said that it was the only way I could become a Halliwell. I know that sounds silly, as I know I am one. But here in this world she's right I'm not. But she's giving me the option to become one, but at what cost?_

_Can I really kill witches? People like me; people whom in any other circumstances I may class as friends. I didn't think it was possible until this morning. I woke up in the middle of the night. I don't know what had made me want to go upstairs but I did and when I got into the attic the book was calling me over. It was like a beacon, it was so bright but everything was a blur after that. When I woke up I was lying on the attic floor holding a photograph of me and mom. _

_Maybe it was a sign?__ Maybe the picture means that doing what mom wants is the right thing, the only way to get her to love me._

Matt was reeling, he had sent the photograph and Chris had thought it had meant that he was to do whatever it took to please this worlds Piper. Which included killing for her. Matt felt sick! This was his entire fault. Chris would never have done the things he did if he hadn't sent the photo. It was supposed to remind Chris of what he had at home, not what he could have here. He sat down on the bed shaking his head.

"What's wrong with you?" Wyatt asked looking very bored.

"I'm the reason Chris killed those witches," Matt answered swallowing hard "If I hadn't sent that stupid photo of him and mom he wouldn't have took it as a sign that he needed to do what your Piper wanted to get his mom back," The reality quickly sank in that he himself had blood on his hands.

"Would you get a grip?" Wyatt spat callously "Why is everyone treating Chris like he is a baby?" he growled, "He made the decision to do what he did himself without your input,"

"What is your problem with Chris?" Matt snapped

"My problem with him is that he's so weak," Wyatt spat in disgust "Do you want to know why I hate him so much? It's because he doesn't have the balls to fight for what he wants. It's always poor little Chris, well I'm sick of it.

When things went wrong in your world, did he stay and fight? No! He found himself a new family. My family! He took the easy way out. That photo you sent him should have made he determined to fight to get his family back but instead it made him take the easy way out again and just conform to what my mom wanted. AND THEN!" he erupted "He finally gets you guys back and instead of facing up to what he's done he runs off again,"

Wyatt was fuming; he looked like he was going to blow something up.

"Woah," Matt held his hands up as if he was going to have to diffuse the situation "So this is what I'd look like if I was really pissed," he grinned.

Wyatt's anger calmed slightly and he smirked "And this is what I'd look like if I lived in rainbow candy floss land" pointing at his counterpart grinning.

"Look," Matt laughed, "Were getting off track,"

"Yeah well you haven't had much luck finding anything yet, have you?"

"God give me time. I've only just started looking," Matt began flipping through the pages again.

_February 16__th_

_She is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen…._

Matt felt a surge of power shoot through him as he was thrown into a vision.

_It was dark and Matt could hear the sound of the waves crashing against the shore and the sinking feeling of his trainers against the sand beneath him. Looking down his vision caught that of his brother sobbing. He was holding the limp, lifeless body of a pretty young woman in his arms._

"_Please don't leave me," he whispered holding onto her for dear life. But she didn't answer she was gone. A life cut so tragically short. _

"_Such a waste of a life so young. W__ho knows what she may have become," Both Matt and Chris turned to the cold eyes of Piper Halliwell standing before them with a small smirk playing upon her lips._

"What did you see?" Wyatt asked his counterpart nervously.

"Something terrible," Matt shivered, he rose quickly from the bed "We need to find Chris now!"


	18. The Flight of the Butterfly

Chapter Eighteen

When Christopher Halliwell woke he thought he was lying in the arms of an angel. Her soft messy brown hair lay loosely over her peaceful face, while she slept silently on her belly. Her right arm was stretched out to her side holding Chris securely in place.

Chris felt content as he woke and nestled closer into her warmth. Closing his eyes again he could feel himself drifting back off to sleep as he listened to the soft rhythmic sound of her breathing. He didn't know how long he had been lying there before the sound of an unfamiliar voice was calling across the hall.

"Laney are you up yet?"

Chris' eyes flew open as he realised that the voice was getting closer.

"Laney,"

Panic rose through Chris quickly. What if he was caught here? It didn't bare thinking about. Images of a fuming over protective father chasing him out of the house filled his mind. Realising that Laney wasn't waking anytime soon Chris closed his eyes and prayed that she didn't catch him disappearing into a mass of orbs.

"LANEY! WILL YOU GET OUT OF THAT DAMN BED?"

Laney sprang up terrified. The first thought that crossed her mind was 'Oh god where's Chris?' Sitting up she frantically span the top half of her body from side to side searching both the bed and the room for her friend, yet she could not see him.

"What on earth are you doing?"

"Erm nothing dad, sorry," she answered slightly dazed by how quickly she had sat up and the unknown whereabouts of Chris still lingering at the front of her mind.

"Do you think that you might make an effort to get dressed at some point today, I mean it is quarter to twelve, I would have hoped that you might have thought getting up before lunch was normal practice," Her father never gave her chance to answer as he slammed the door firmly behind him.

She knew he was pissed; he usually was with her these days. She knew he hated that she was upsetting his home life with his shiny new wife and over chirpy kids. Shiny and chirpy was something she was definitely not. She didn't fit in here and it was evident to both of them that she was less than welcome. Sighing she got out of bed and padded over to the bathroom.

Opening the door she was greeted by Chris sitting on the closed toilet lid seat. "What are you doing in here?"

"I heard your dad coming and ran in here," They stood there in silence for a few moments before Laney noticed that Chris was blushing.

"Why have you gone all red?" Laney asked. Looking down at herself she quickly realised that she was only wearing boxer shorts and a vest top. All of a sudden she felt uncomfortable, she knew it was silly, she'd worn less on the beach and besides last night she hadn't given it a thought when she got changed. It was what she always wore for bed, but standing in this small bathroom she quickly became aware of how Chris was looking at her and it made her nervous.

"I'll leave you to shower," Chris babbled as he went to make his way quickly past her. Laney made a grab for his hand turning him back towards her. She had never really considered herself brave before but right now she was proving to herself that she could be. Plucking up all the courage she possessed she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

The kiss took Chris by surprise, for a brief second he just stood there waiting for her to pull away telling him it was a mistake but she never did. Feeling encouraged by this he responded passionately and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her closer. She moved them closer to the door until Chris' back hit it gently. Eyes closed they carried on the kissing; Chris felt his stomach flip over. It was like he had thousand butterflies dancing around inside him.

Breaking way from the kiss Laney looked up nervously awaiting for a response from Chris. A hundred and one thoughts were spinning around her head. Would he regret it? Would he just want to be friends? Or even worse, would he just leave? His smile settled her nerves and he pulled her close again, leaning down slightly he placed his face against hers.

"First kiss?" she asked tentatively

"Yeah," he answered slightly embarrassed "You?"

"No," she answered honestly. She pulled away from him slightly to look into his eyes "But I wish it had been,"

Chris smiled back softly "Go have your shower," He opened the bathroom door.

"You'll still be here when I get out?" she asked concerned.

"I'm not going anywhere," He kissed her again, this time more tenderly before heading out to leave her to shower.

* * *

They spent the majority of the afternoon lounging around in the sunshine. With Laney being a bit of a tourist Chris had decided to take her to Golden Gate Park. Cuddled up together on the ground they looked like any other 'loved up' couple. Even getting the occasional wolf whistle or 'Jeez get a room' comment as people passed them by.

The embarrassment of the bathroom earlier was all forgotten and Chris was grateful that Laney had plucked up the courage to kiss him as he knew too well that he wouldn't have been able too. Lying on the dry grass they starred up at the clouds making them into shapes and objects. Both Chris and Laney were able to forget their problems momentarily wrapped up in this bubble of contentment together.

"If you could be anything in the world what would it be?" Laney asked turning on her side to look at Chris.

Staring up at her Chris grinned "I'd be a famous photographer, selling my work to galleries all over the world," Lying back down next to him Chris wrapped his arms around her "You could be my model and we'd live in a huge house overlooking the sea,"

Grinning she began to play along with his fantasy " And we could go swimming everyday and eat dinner on the beach every night,"

"And watch the sun go down over the ocean," Chris finished sighing gently.

"What's wrong?" Laney asked quietly

"I wish we could escape to that world Laney but we can't," he looked at her with sad eyes "There are people looking for me and I need to get away. We can't postpone reality any longer,"

"Your leaving me," Laney face was one of horror "Bu.. but after this morning I thought we… you said you weren't going anywhere," she trailed off dejectedly

Chris sat up quickly taking her hands in his forcing her to look at him "Believe me if I could stay I would but…"

"But what?" Laney pressed, "Please Chris tell me what's going on?"

"I can't," he answered hanging his head in shame "I don't want you to get hurt. I have to leave before they find me"

"Then take me with you," she urged

"What!" he answered shocked "I can't,"

"I thought you didn't want to leave me?"

"I don't,"

"Then that's the only solution," she argued

"But what about your family?" Chris asked concerned "Do you have any idea what you'd be giving up?"

"I don't have a proper family Chris," she answered glumly "My mother couldn't wait to ship me off to my dad's and he hates having me around. I don't fit into his perfect well-rounded suburban family. I remind him about his previous life, a life he'd rather forget. An ex wife and daughter he'd rather forget," Chris could hear the bitterness in her voice.

Getting up off the ground Chris held out his hand for her to take "Come on,"

Taking it she allowed him to pull her up off the floor "Where are we going?"

"Let's take a walk on the beach and watch the sun go down," Chris answered wrapping his arm around her waist "There's some things you need to know about me. If after you've heard them you haven't changed your mind, then I'll take you with me,"


	19. The threat of being second best

Chapter nineteen

The images from Matt's vision were still preying heavily on this mind. He could feel the pain that had been evident upon his brother's face as he rocked the lifeless body of the young woman who lay still in his arms. Matt assumed this was the girlfriend Wyatt had been talking about. Matt shuddered at the picture still fresh in his head, he hadn't ever seen a dead body in person before and he had no desire to start now. That was why he needed to find Chris before anyone else did. He was convinced that the predicted death of the girl was probably at the hands of the Piper from this world.

Her icicle smile was still haunting him. It was chilling looking into the eyes of someone so evil, someone who looked exactly like his mother. Matt felt a chill run through him at the thought of this women being his mom and had to push the thoughts to the back of his mind if he was to focus his attention entirely upon Chris. He was his main focus now and he needed to find him as quickly as possible if he was to prevent what he had foreseen.

"This is hopeless," Matt groaned feeling like he was losing the will to live.

Wyatt looked up at his double; he could see the frustration etched upon his face. "Maybe we need to tell the others about what you saw?"

"NO!" Matt answered outraged "Are you crazy?"

"Look," Wyatt's voice was low trying to keep his temper under control "All I'm saying is the more input we have the better right,"

"But if the others know what's going on, I'll never get him home. Do you really think your mom will let him go without a fight?"

Wyatt shook his head, he knew she wouldn't. When Piper Halliwell was obsessed with something she never let go until she got it. "Well then what do you suggest we do?"

"I think you should head back to the manor," Matt began "They've been calling for us and I reckon they know something's up,"

"What shall I tell them?"

"You'll think of something," Matt answered "Whatever you tell them it needs to be good enough that they'll leave me in peace,"

"Good luck," Wyatt answered before disappearing into a mass of dark orbs.

* * *

When Wyatt reappeared in attic he was greeted by shouting! Lots and lots of shouting! Both sets of the charmed ones looked as pissed as the other and in that moment he wasn't sure which was more likely to do him damage.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!"

"Woah!" Wyatt held his hands up in front of him in mock terror "What is this? Mom in stereo," he indicated both versions of his mother's screams.

"Where's Matt?" Good Piper asked losing her patience.

Wyatt sneered, "I don't have to answer a good little witch like you,"

Good Piper growled "Look you either tell me, or I'll blow your orbs across the pacific,"

"Like to see to try," Wyatt smirked "Besides you wouldn't hurt your own child would you mummy dearest,"

"You are no child of mine," Piper spat with disgust

Wyatt feigned hurt "Oh mom you have no idea how much that hurts," he quipped sarcastically.

"Just tell her where he is," Darklighter Leo snapped, "Were wasting precious time,"

Wyatt rolled his eyes unimpressed with his father's interruption. He was never allowed any fun nowadays.

"Fine!" he groaned, "He went for a walk to cool off,"

"Cool off?" Whitelighter Leo asked suspiciously.

"We had words," Lying came so easily to Wyatt, that it was almost second nature for him to fabricate a plausible story.

"Just words?" Leo asked concerned.

" Yes," Wyatt answered "Just words. We are too evenly matched to cause the other any real damage. Maybe you two would do well to remember that when you're threatening each other," Wyatt indicated to his mother and her counterpart.

"What did you have words about?" Evil Piper asked her son.

"I'll give you one guess," Wyatt sighed looking annoyed. "What does the world seem to revolve around lately?"

"Chris!"

"Ding, Ding Ten point's to the pixie at the back," Wyatt quipped pointing at the good version of Phoebe.

"Aww," Paige teased, "Are we feeling a little jealous of our baby brother?"

Wyatt's blood began to rise. He clenched his fists closely to his sides trying desperately to stop himself shaking. He wanted to put these good little witches in their place.

How dare they talk to him like that!

He was Wyatt Matthew Halliwell.

Nobody spoke to him like that.

He had spent years being second best to a boy who probably no longer even existed. And if that wasn't bad enough, he soon found himself second best to a weak excuse of an imitation of his younger brother. Everyone was running around worrying about Chris and now he found himself in the middle of it lying in an attempt to find the little brat.

Paige was taken off guard when she went flying through the air, crashing into the storage boxes in the far corner of the attic, the full force of Wyatt's telekinesis knocking the wind out of her. Phoebe and Piper ran over to their sister, pulling her up off the ground. "What the hell was that," Paige wheezed trying to get her breath back.

Wyatt seemed to grow in both height and strength before them. All eyes were focused upon his boy who was trying so hard to keep control of his emotions.

The evil version of the charmed ones looked on unmoved as Phoebe sank to the floor screaming. Holding onto her head as if it was close to exploding. Piper grabbed hold of her sister pulling her into a hug, cradling her close. "Phoebe what is it?" she asked concerned.

"So much hate, so much rage," she whispered looking up at Wyatt "So much pain and resentment,"

"Exhilarating isn't it," Evil Phoebe grinned soaking up the negativity radiating from her young nephew.

Everyone was too busy focusing upon Wyatt and the effects he was having on good Phoebe to acknowledge her doubles comment. Their eyes were transfixed to one another as if Phoebe and Wyatt were in the middle of a battle of the minds. Phoebe's warm brown eyes reflected the pain that she could see in Wyatt's cold blue orbs.

Everyone turned to look at Wyatt. Good Piper looked up from her position upon the floor into this boys eyes. He was just a boy. Evil maybe, but still just a child, one who had been ignored and treated like second best for so long. No wonder he felt resentment. The mother in her wanted to take her son's double in her arms and cuddle him, but that was her counterparts job but something told her that wouldn't help anytime soon. Besides she knew Wyatt would react badly to any physical contact with her. She was not his mother and he hated her enough already.

"I've always stood in his shadow," He was talking to his parents yet his eyes were still firmly fixed upon Phoebe as if she was channelling his emotions. Keeping him from exploding into a whirlwind of destruction. "Everything's always been about Chris, never about me,"

"That's not true Wyatt," Evil Piper defended quickly.

"Yes it is," Wyatt continued, eyes still fixed to the same spot "Chris has always been at the forefront of your mind. Especially his," They all knew that Wyatt meant his father even if he didn't physically acknowledge him. "I've had enough of being second best," he growled

"What do you mean?" Piper asked her son.

Finally Wyatt turned to his mother, his stony face looking straight at her with his piercing blue eyes. "What have you always told me mother," he smirked "If there's a threat, take it out,"

"What threat?" Paige asked confused.

Wyatt grinned at the alternative version of his aunt. It was the first sign of joy she had seen on the sullen teenagers face since they had arrived. "Chris," he answered simply before disappearing before their eyes.


	20. Working together

Chapter Twenty

Both sets of Charmed ones stood routed to the spot dumbfounded by what had just happened. Piper Halliwell felt sick to her stomach. Both of her children were missing now and she had no idea how long it would be before Wyatt caught up with Chris. She feared that encounter would lead to her losing him forever.

"Where would Wyatt go," she asked her double anxiously.

Evil Piper stood unmoved by her words. Lost in her own thoughts, she just kept replaying what he had said to her "I've always lived in his shadow,"

"What?" Good Piper asked confused.

"That's what he said," her double answered "Cheeky little sod!" she raged. Her face looked outraged "I have given that boy everything!" Her expression began to twist distastefully "I've spoilt that brat, how dare he. After everything I've done for him. He's the only person whose tried to kill me and I've allowed to live to tell the tale….. other than Chris that is ,"

"He's your son though, you wouldn't kill him would you?" Whitelighter Leo asked cautiously.

"Don't bet on it!" his double answered seriously "The only reason Wyatt lived after that was because she was so impressed that he had attempted it at such a young age,"

"How old was he?" Piper asked her ex husband's evil double.

"Seven," the Darklighter answered casually.

"SEVEN!" Piper repeated horrified "But he was a child,"

"Oh please," her double spat "He'd been killing innocents since the age of three. That's when Halliwell children begin their training," she grinned.

"That's awful," Piper cried disgusted by her doubles blasé attitude. It made her feel sick that the only thing separating herself from his woman was the morality of an alternative existence.

"Hey lady, don't you look down your nose at me," Evil Piper shouted "Maybe if you had taken the time to train Chris from an early age he wouldn't have been such a weed when he got here. I've taught him more about survival in a few months than you did in fifteen years,"

"No," Piper corrected "You taught my boy to kill to get what he wants. Do you have any idea what you have done to him?" she asked bitterly

"I've made him stronger,"

"No you haven't. You've crushed him. Did you not see how broken he was, how ashamed of himself. My son is in pieces because of you and your family. The sooner I find him and get him home the better,"

"How many times," Evil Piper growled "He's not going anywhere with you,"

Piper closed the small gap between herself and her double in seconds. Standing toe to toe their eyes burned furiously at each other. Then she spoke so calmly that her voice sent a chill through her ex husband "You may be the big bad witch around here, but if you really want to know what evil looks like I promise that if you get in my way of finding my son I will show you. You may be the cold hearted murderer but I will kill you if I have to," she looked intently into her doubles cold eyes "Do you understand what I am saying? If I need to I will end your life,"

Evil Piper didn't respond, she just stood starring back at her double just as intently.

"Hey guys," Good Paige interrupted the showdown between the two witches "Not to press you or anything but we have three missing children to find. One who is hell bent on doing serious damage to his younger brother, who I may add would probably not put up a fight the emotional state he's in. How bout we focus upon that and we can pick up attack of the Pipers another time ok,"

"Fine," both Pipers' scowled, looking as displeased as the other.

"Maybe we should split up and start looking for the boys," Phoebe suggested.

"That's a good idea," Darklighter Leo agreed "How about the Whitelighter and I head down into the underworld and look there, while you girls split up and search the city and magic school,"

"What are we waiting for then?" Good Piper asked "Paige you check the bridge and the club and Phoebe and I will check out the park,"

Nodding, Paige disappeared into orbs, followed directly by both of her brother in laws.

"I better find my son alive," Piper threatened her evil counterpart "Or I'll be coming straight back for you,"

* * *

Wyatt was a man on a mission!

Orbing back and forth across the city, he hoped Matt found Chris in time before he did. He hoped this plan of hide and go seek would work because if he found the younger Halliwell he might lead his family to him before Matt had a chance to put his idea into action. If he was honest with himself there was also the temptation to kill Chrisy might become way too appealing.

Making his way through a darkened ally he heard someone behind him. Keeping still he quickly formed an energy ball in his hand ready to strike if need be. The footsteps of the stranger were getting nearer, causing Wyatt to turn around in haste and throw the ball directly at the person in front of him.

The ball of blue and white light was approaching fast. Eyes closed, panic quickly rising the victim closed their eyes awaiting the fatal blow that was imminent. But it never came.

Wyatt ducked as the ball of energy bounced back directly into his path. "What the hell?" he asked astonished.

"Why am I not dead?" the intended casualty asked.

"Because your damn shield bounced it back at me," Wyatt growled "Matt you could have killed me,"

"Dude!" Matt exclaimed "You through the bloody thing at me,"

"That's not the point," Wyatt fumed "What are you doing here? I thought you were looking for Chris,"

"I am," Matt sighed "But as you can see I'm having no luck,"

"This is ridiculous!" Wyatt sighed "I can only orb around pretending to hunt Chris for so long before the sisters figure out something's up,"

"Yeah I know, plus we run the risk of you finding him and actually killing him,"

Wyatt eyed him innocently.

"Oh please," Matt rolled his eyes "Your me remember. Ok an evil version of me, but still I know hoe your mind works,"

"True," Wyatt smirked "Question is do you think you could stop me?"

"You know I could," Matt answered seriously "And if I failed I'd spend the rest of my life hunting you down like a dog,"

Wyatt was about to answer but didn't get the chance., Matt had doubled over. Rushing to his side Wyatt grabbed hold of him, forcing Matt to look directly at him. The pain etched upon his face was very real. "I never touched you," Wyatt answered startled. If anyone was going to cause him pain, he was sure it would be himself.

"It's Chris," Matt answered through gritted teeth "His block his down, I can feel everything," he gasped "Quick!" he grabbed his doubles arm "Orb us back to the beach,"

Wyatt did as he was asked, intrigued about what they would find when their orbs would finally reform upon the sand.


End file.
